Ambassador Neil Holland thanks Denmark for their professional and
principled chairing of the Forum for Security Cooperation,
despite Russia's repeated distractions and breaches of its OSCE
commitments.
"Thank you to you Mr Chair and to the Acting State Secretary from
Denmark for your remarks. Mr Chair, dear Christian, I want to
also thank you and your team for your professional, polite and
principled stewardship of this Forum over the past Trimester.
We fully support your efforts to keep the FSC focused on Russia's
unprovoked, full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine. The
invasion is in its third year and continues to violate the UN
Charter and the Helsinki Final Act's core principles, including
those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of
force. Principles which Ukraine is fighting for, and which
my Prime Minister has promised the UK will ‘support for as long
as it takes'. Under your stewardship, we have shown that these
principles and this Forum continue to matter and that we will
keep on defending both.
Mr Chair, all of your Security Dialogues rightly focused on
different aspect of Russia's war, notably on the Code of Conduct
and the Helsinki Decalogue. We discussed the pattern of
Russia contravening OSCE principles across the OSCE
region. As we have documented since February 2022, Russia's
war in Ukraine is contravening the whole Decalogue and the Code.
Russia stationing its forces in Georgia and Moldova, without
their consent, also contravenes the Decalogue and Code.
Mr Chair, perhaps that is why Russia continues to do everything
it can to avoid this Forum from meeting to discuss these
violations. For a third Trimester in a row, Russia has
attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from hosting Security
Dialogues. For a second Trimester in a row, Russia has
attempted to prevent the FSC Chair from holding sessions with
only mandated agenda items. For a second year in a row, and
despite repeated requests from Chairs and other States, the
Russian delegation has studiously avoided articulating any issues
with the mandated Agenda, let alone offering alternatives.
The Rules of Procedure remain clear. Under these, the Chair
is mandated to ‘ensure the good order and smooth running of
meetings'. It is the Chair's prerogative to set the
agenda. And it is the Chair's prerogative to select and
invite guest speakers. No other State may dictate to the
Chair – let alone issue ultimatums. Mr Chair, thank you for
standing up for the mandate in a polite and principled
manner. You ensured that the FSC has met weekly to discuss
its mandated agenda items.
As I said last Trimester, there remains another path. If
Russia's professed wish for peace is genuine, Russia must end
this war by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine's
internationally recognised borders. And from Georgia and
Moldova. If Russia is serious about dialogue and risk
reduction, it must stop trying to undermine our Ministerial
mandate of this Forum meeting each week.
I wish to conclude by thanking Croatia as it leaves the FSC
Troika, and to welcome Estonia. The incoming Chair, Spain, can
count on the UK's full and continued support next Trimester –
including in its prerogative as FSC Chair. Thank you."
