The new initiative of dialogue on European security was presented by the head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zbigniew Rau to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergei Lavrov. The head of Polish diplomacy paid a visit to Russia as chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Poland has been chairing the work of the OSCE since the beginning of the year.
Rau proposed an initiative of a new dialogue on European security, aimed to reduce the risk of confrontation and to strengthen security.
The head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the OSCE chairman, emphasized that the key topic of talks was the state of European security, which is in a deep crisis.
He stressed that the Polish chairmanship of the OSCE took all measures to prevent the escalation of the extremely tense situation around Ukraine and to reduce the current tensions. Rau presented to Minister Lavrov the logic of the project treated as a priority by the Polish presidency.
“We expect that this initiative will allow a better understanding of the positions of all participating states and improve the predictability of actions, as well as strengthening the three fundamental principles for peace and security in Europe: the principles of a comprehensive approach to security, indivisibility of security and peaceful relations between states”, – said Rau.
The minister emphasized that he counted on the involvement of the Russian side in this project and its substantive contribution.
“We are aware of the seriousness of the challenges facing us in the near future. As OSCE chairman, I would like to emphasize that we intend to continue our efforts to bring about the fastest and peaceful de-escalation”, added the Polish minister during a joint press conference with Lavrov.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there were many problems within the OSCE that require urgent solutions and trust between the members of the organization. According to Lavrov, aggressive rhetoric and confrontational approach has filled the common space, dominated the spirit of cooperation, the culture of mutual respect within the OSCE, which had been in this organization after its creation, and the partners would return the former quality.
Rau noted that the OSCE, which he chairs, was set up to deal with problems such as today’s challenges. “We must take the opportunity created by the fact that all countries in the region are members of the OSCE, making it the most inclusive and representative forum for debate on the challenges of this part of the world”, said Rau.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński