Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at an open VTC of UNSC members "Briefing of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office"
Mme.President,
We thank Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Ann Linde for briefing us on the activities of the OSCE, issues on its agenda, and the priorities of the Chairperson-in-Office.
Russia consequently stands for enhancing cooperation between the UN and the OSCE on the basis of the UN Charter and 2019 Framework Agreement on Cooperation and Coordination for the UN and the OSCE, as well as 2006 Declaration of the OSCE Permanent Council. It is our understanding that the OSCE should supplement the UN efforts throughout its area of responsibility.
Sweden took over the Chair of OSCE amidst complicated geopolitical and epidemiological circumstances. Volatile situation that has evolved around the coronavirus pandemic overlaps the progressing crisis of confidence at the OSCE space. At the same time, broad geography and the rule of consensus turn the organization into a unique instrument for maintaining peace and stability in Euro-Atlantics.
We note the active stance that the Chairperson-in-Office assumed at the initial stage of their mandate, and the eagerness to receive first-hand information about the situation on the ground. Minister Linde already visited Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. We hope that the Chair-in-Office will firmly stick to the consensus approaches, work within the scope of decisions made by the Foreign Ministers Council and the Permanent Council of OSCE in 2002, keep from making biased and imbalanced assessments and promoting concepts that do not enjoy broad support.
In the times of a widespread loss of mutual trust, regional organizations including the OSCE have a very special mission – revive the feeling of mutual understanding to help solve crises in their respective regions. By all means, the main criterion of effectiveness in that matter is assistance with conflict settlement.
The OSCE is expected to take an objective approach to the settlement of internal Ukrainian conflict, foster direct dialogue of its sides (Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk) and help implement the Minsk Package of Measures that was endorsed by UNSC resolution 2202.
We expect that Sweden as Chair-in-Office will ensure impartial work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, and that the Mission itself will carry out well-balanced monitoring, i.a. with regard to human rights, on either side of the contact line. The SMM mandate directly prescribes this. Also, there is a need to keep track of, analyze and report discriminatory initiatives of Ukrainian leadership with regard to the Russian language, national minorities, and the Ukrainian Orthodox church, as well as control the situation with ensuring freedom of speech, and the activity of Mass Media.
By the way, infringement of the freedom of Media and oppression of national minorities, i.a. in terms of their civil and linguistic rights, have recently become a scourge in a number of OSCE Member States. Since the regional mechanisms do not condemn this, the situation keeps worsening. We call on the Chairperson-in-Office and the specialized OSCE bodies to pay special attention to the deterioration in the area of human rights that is observed at the OSCE space and throughout its area of responsibility.
By the way, I would like to make a point regarding statements that some our Western colleagues made today and that contained a false interpretation of the situation around the internal Ukrainian settlement. Let me stress that it is their actions that pose the key security threat to the entire OSCE space, because such action supports Kiev’s destructive steps that seek to undermine the Minsk Agreements. We call on the Western sponsors to address this and have their sponsees stop distorting reality and engaging in political provocations and instead get down to restoring dialogue with the people of eastern Ukraine, as envisaged by the Minsk Agreements. Before blaming us, please look in the mirror and stop turning a blind eye to blatant violations of human rights, the freedom of speech and Media, and to the cases of glorification of Nazi criminals and their henchmen that have become a sad reality not only in post-Maidan Ukraine, but also in the Baltic states, in particular in Estonia. This would both do some good to your tarnished reputation, and help restore the environment of trust and cooperation in the OSCE area of responsibility.
Mme.President,
Hopefully, under the leadership of Minister Linde, the OSCE will be able to make a meaningful contribution to the settlement in Nagorny-Karabakh, give a new impetus to “5+2” negotiations on Transnistria. We positively assess the work of the UN and the OSCE as co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions on the South Caucasus. We expect Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Annika Söder to facilitate constructive contacts between Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.
We call on you, Minister Linde, to launch consultations that should enhance effectiveness of the OSCE, which Russia proposed last year. The envisaged goal is to increase the returns of the work of the OSCE Secretariat, its institutions and field missions, optimize the OSCE event program and preparations for Foreign Ministers Councils, ensure balance between the three OSCE “baskets”, improve the budgetary process.
Overcoming socio-economic effects of COVID-19 is another vital track, where assistance should be given to the affected branches of economy, tourism included, as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
We support the plans of the Chair to promote participation of women in economic activity, however without linkage to UNSC resolution 1325 that addresses women's involvement in peace processes.
Also, thematic and geographical imbalances in the humanitarian dimension need to be corrected. Countering racism, neo-Nazism, history falsifications, inciting interreligious enmity should rank among the priorities. The issue of collectively elaborating a unified methodology of observing the elections retains high relevance.
Mme.President,
In conclusion, I would like to call the OSCE to engage in closer cooperation with the UN, its specialized agencies, and various regional organizations (CSTO, EAEU, CIS, SCO, etc.) on the basis of the “Platform for Co-operative Security” (Istanbul summit, 1999).
We wish effective work to the Chairperson-in-Office and hope that Chair will stick to the position of an “honest broker”. Sweden can count on Russia’s support for the initiatives aimed at sustaining stability, restoring trust and galvanizing cooperation between the OSCE Member States.
Thank you.
