OSCE 93rd Joint FSC - PC meeting Vienna, 27 November 2024

1.Chairs, thank you for drawing attention to the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and, in particular, of the Helsinki Decalogue with today’s Security Dialogue. We equally thank the panellists for their presentations.

2.Over the past five decades, the ten principles of the Decalogue have formed the foundation of relations among participating States, of our collective security and the values that unite us. By launching its unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has flouted the core norms, principles and commitments on which European security is built, and which are enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. It explicitly calls for respect for sovereignty, refraining from the use of force, emphasising the inviolability of borders, the importance of territoria lintegrity, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. By choosing might over right, Russia has disregarded its international obligations and has attempted to set a dangerous precedent that threatens the security of all OSCE participating States.

3.However, one participating State’s, Russia’s, deliberate violations of these principles do not diminish their relevance or make them mere historical relics. Quite the opposite, the principles of the Helsinki Final Act have withstood the test of time and are more important than ever. They are neither negotiable nor open for reinterpretation. All participating States must recommit to upholding them.

4.We call on the Russian Federation to honour its commitments, respect international law, and thus end its unprovoked, illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression immediately and unconditionally. We urge all countries to cease all assistance,including the provision of dual-use goods and sensitive items that sustain Russia’s military industrial base for Russia’s war of aggression, which is a blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and the OSCE core principles and commitments.

5.Chairs, your concept note raises the vital question of how we, as participating States, can more effectively use the tools in the politico-military dimension to holdeach other accountable under the Decalogue. This is a crucial point as not only the Decalogue, but the entire OSCE set of commitments build a strong foundation for our platform to address shared security challenges. While the Decalogue marked a historic landmark, its broader significance lies in fostering dialogue and trust,even amid profound differences.

6.The Helsinki Decalogue contains the principles for the peaceful resolution of all unresolved conflicts in the OSCE region, including those in the Republic of Moldova and in Georgia with full respect for their territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within their internationally recognised borders, which remains a key priority for the EU. The EU also continues its support for advancing a sustainable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the principles of recognition of sovereignty, the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity.

7.Through the Helsinki Final Act the participating States recognise that respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law is an essential factor for the peace, justice and well-being necessary to ensure the development of friendly relations and cooperation between States. We continue to see increasing pressure and attacks on human rights defenders, journalists and media actors across the OSCE area. Internal repression in Russia and Belarus is mirrored by growing external aggression. Our OSCE commitments are more relevant than ever in these challenging times and we need to redouble the focus on their implementation.

8.Russia’s deliberate actions have shattered the trust which is essential for international cooperation and have damaged the OSCE’s ability to deliver in accordance with its full potential. The international community’s efforts to engage Russia in meaningful dialogue have been met with obstruction and deception,further eroding the trust that is the bedrock of the OSCE’s work.

9.We must continue our efforts towards principled dialogue rooted in the Helsinki Decalogue, as we do now in this joint FSC-PCmeeting, and in the weekly meetings of the OSCE’s Permanent Council and Forum for Security Co-operation. There are many matters that we urgently need to attend to in these fora, above all, Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine.

10.All participating Statesmust adhere to and respect OSCE core principles containedin the Helsinki Final Act, hold one another accountable and refrain from deliberatelyviolating our common commitments.

Thank you, Chairs.

The Candidate Countries NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, and GEORGIA, the EFTA countries ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN and NORWAY, members of the European Economic Area, as well as ANDORRA and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to bepart of the Stabilisation and Association Process.