 |
Following a briefing by Prime Minister Rama on the objectives and challenges of the OSCE during Albania's 1-year mandate, the debate was sparked by exchanges between ambassadors of world powers.
The Russian ambassador to the Council began the conversation by accusing Ukraine of disrespecting Russian minorities and inciting conflict in eastern Ukraine, as well as affirming Russia's full sovereignty over the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Such a statement has been strongly opposed by the US ambassador who held Russia responsible for fueling crises across Eastern Europe in order to keep these countries away from the European Union and NATO.
Concerning the OSCE, the US ambassador said that the United States sees in Albania and the Presidency of PM Rama a key ally in resolving global conflicts and maintaining world peace.
France, a state that, like the US and Russia, has veto power in the Council, was represented by its powerful ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere. In his speech, he said: “I heartily thank Mr. Rama for his word. Albania has the full support of France for the implementation of its ambitious work program as presented by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. There are three topics that have our special attention. Only six years after the start of the clash, resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine should be our top priority. "
Along the same line was the ambassador of Great Britain, another vetoed country, Mrs. Karen Pierce. "Prime Minister, it is important to share responsibility so that the OSCE can change the situation on the ground, and as other speakers have noticed, the people of Ukraine feel this need as particularly acute. Your last visit to Ukraine was very welcome and you had the opportunity to see with your own eyes the reality of the people living near the contact line,” Pierce said addressing to Prime Minister Rama.
In her speech, Pierce also expressed full support for the fight against corruption, set by Albania as one of the key objectives of her presidency.
Meanwhile the German ambassador, unconditionally backing the Rama agenda at the OSCE, targeted the Russian ambassador for his statements. “I was left speechless when I heard the tale of our Russian colleague. I had the impression that if we continued our conversation about Ukraine, our Russian colleagues would say that it was Ukraine that invaded Russia and not the other way around," said Ambassador Christoph Heugsen.
Some of the key points set by Prime Minister Rama, as interim president of the OSCE, are negotiating conflict resolution, demilitarization and arms control, as well as promoting the rights and employment of women in both conflict zones and within the OSCE structure.
Germany: Thank you, Mr. President, it is an honor to have the OSCE Chair here, it is very rare for the Council to meet a personality who is at the same time a basketball player, artist and Prime Minister and President of the OSCE, so welcome to the Security Council. I took note of what you said about the OSCE and closed it down by reiterating the OSCE principles that are as valid today as they were when it was founded. Germany as one of its founding members has been very supportive of the OSCE and believes it continues to be a key organization. I also support Germany's statement that the OSCE and the UN are natural partners, so Germany supports the partnership between two organizations that ultimately share the same principles and are both organizations that, to quote the OSCE Chairperson again, survive the multilateralism that is being threatened. Germany is financially and human resources committed, we headed the OSCE Presidency in 2016. As for the program, we have our full support, as well as what you said on the thematic issues, something we fully support, you emphasized the protection of basic human rights, violence against women, promoting good governance, the fight against anti-Semitism, organized crime, terrorism, arms trafficking. I would emphasize the role of women, on the one hand, in participating in government, in peace talks, on the other hand protecting women, in particular protection against sexual violence. I would like to focus on the first part of your presentation, regarding the change it is causing on the ground, we appreciate that you focused on the fact that there are still Russian troops in violation of the Istanbul Agreement, so you have our support and appreciation for your efforts. Ukraine has been the country where the OSCE has invested the most for 6 years, and Germany highly appreciates that the first visit was to Ukraine and the visit to Stanick Luhanska, the area annexed by Russia to Ukraine, Crimea. Russia continues to occupy part of Ukraine in gross violations of international law. Germany continues with France through the Normandy Format, to try to improve the situation. The Summit on 9 December in Paris brought again progress, we still call on all parties to continue to implement the Summit results and I would like to congratulate President Zalenski on the achievements so far since taking office, both in terms of the bridge, but also for the implementation of the Steinmark Formula and other actions it has taken. I call on Russia to respect the Minsk Agreement.
The full speech of the French ambassador
I heartily thank Mr. Rama for his word. Albania has the full support of France for the implementation of its ambitious work program as presented by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. There are three topics that have our special attention. Just 6 years after the start of the clash, resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine should be our top priority. This conflict is clearly one of the most serious and deadly violations of the Helsinki principles, which are at the core of the OSCE. I appreciate the key role that the OSCE has played since the beginning of the crisis, and I would like to congratulate Mr. Speaker on his first official visit as OSCE Chairman in Ukraine. The OSCE's special monitoring mission ensures daily observations of law enforcement developments throughout the region and throughout the conflict area, as well as supporting parties in the implementation of the Minsk Agreement. In this regard, we appreciate the work of the special monitoring mission to observe troop withdrawals from three key areas: Zanicka Luhanska, Petrivska and Zolote. We also appreciate the courage of dedicated men and women in the field and condemn any action that threatens their safety or impedes the mission. The mandate of the special mission should be fully implemented throughout Ukraine, including the area near the border between Ukraine and Russia. The OSCE also plays a key role in supporting dialogue between the parties within the Tripartite Contact Group. This process progresses at the same time as the political discussions under the Normandy Formation, which are today reinforced by the 9 December Summit in Paris. France and Germany have been actively working to host this Summit of Heads of State, the first since 2016. We are already looking forward to new operational developments within the Tripartite Contact Group for the upcoming Normandy Summit in spring. Moreover, we cannot talk about the crisis between Ukraine and Russia, without mentioning Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. This violation of Ukraine's internationally recognized borders must continue to be strongly condemned. We also condemn the increase in the number of soldiers on the peninsula and human rights violations against people belonging to minorities, especially the Crimean Tatars. The second area of action: France praises the OSCE's contribution to resolving conflicts that continue to threaten peace and stability in Europe and place a heavy burden on the daily lives of citizens. The recent visit of Moldova to the special representative of the Albanian Presidency to resolve the Transenistrial conflict should be welcomed. France hopes that this will boost the impetus for negotiations. On the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, France continues mediation efforts in the role of Minsk Group co-chair, along with the US and Russia. The constructive nature of the two foreign ministers' latest meeting organized by the co-chairs in Geneva at the end of January is hopeful in this regard as it demonstrates the will for genuine dialogue between the parties. With regard to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, France recalls the need for international discussions in Geneva to yield tangible results and to reaffirm the inviolability of Georgian territory within internationally recognized borders. For these conflicts, it must be emphasized that the political will of the parties is needed to enable long-term agreements and to strengthen security in Europe. In closing, France praises Albania's decision to put gender equality and peace and security on the agenda as the main goals of its presidency. We would also like to reiterate France's support for the multidimensional focus on security within the OSCE and its commitment within the human dimension. As we are in the human dimension, allow me to welcome the unique work of Commissioner for Human Rights Harlem Desir as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Press. Mr. President, 45 years after the end of the last Helsinki Act and 30 years after the signing of the Paris Charter for New Europe, the OSCE is a model of effective multilateralism with strong foundations that was born on the basis of the values of the EU. The implementation and strengthening of the OSCE objectives is one of the priorities shared between us and the OSCE Presidency. Close co-operation between the UN and regional organizations such as the OSCE under the Charter may create new multilateralism, renewed and adapted to the major challenges of the present.
England: I think it is very important for the Security Council to hear the OSCE speech and congratulations on the new post as the head. You have UK support. The OSCE is a key pillar of the international regulatory system like the UN itself, as well as a vital institution for European and Euro-Atlantic security, and as you pointed out, Prime Minister, it is important to share responsibility so that the OSCE can change the situation on the ground and as other speakers have said, the people of Ukraine feel this need is particularly acute. Your last visit to Ukraine was very welcome and you had the opportunity to see with your own eyes the reality of the people living near the contact line. We believe it is right to prioritize the OSCE response to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. The United Kingdom supports the initiative for full, secure and unobstructed access to the special monitoring mission and for adequate resources to ensure that it completes its task. As other speakers have said, we too are concerned about human rights violations in Crimea since the illegal annexation including arrests, mistreatment, torture, and embezzlement of political opponents and minorities and denial of basic human rights, and freedoms of those who do not accept the forcible establishment of Russian legislation and state on the peninsula. The United Kingdom, therefore, urges Russia to immediately release the 89 or more political prisoners currently held in custody in Russia and Crimea. We appreciate President Zelenski's commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. The recent preparation in Ukraine of confidence-building measures prompted the December Normandy Format Summit in Paris and the exchange of prisoners thereafter. We expect Russia to implement the Minsk Agreement and its commitments and use its influence to persuade the separatists to do the same. We also call on Russia to play its part in enabling further military withdrawal and full access by the international community of the Red Cross to areas not controlled by the government. Mr. President, Russia must fully respect Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, withdraw troops from all over Ukraine, and end the illegal annexation of Crimea. Crimea is part of Ukraine. The actions Russia has taken and continues to make therein violate its obligations under international law and pose a serious challenge to international rules of order. Prime Minister, we welcome your prioritization as Head of Conflict Resolution, including the work of the Special Monitoring Mission and the Tripartite Contact Group, as well as the resolution of other conflicts in the OSCE. Like others, we attach great importance to the work of OSCE representatives throughout the region. The United Kingdom has the honor of supporting your presidency as head of the OSCE Security Committee. We are grateful for your determination to fight organized crime and emphasize the importance of taking action in line with international human rights standards. The OSCE's cooperation with the UN in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism is particularly strong and we welcome the OSCE's partnership with Security Council institutions focusing on the fight against terrorism and look forward to the joint OSCE Conference with the UN Office in Switzerland on Counter-Terrorism for foreign terrorist fighters. Mr. President, the unique value of the OSCE lies in a consensual approach to principles and commitments that bring benefits to both parties and prevent escalation. In particular, the United Kingdom would like to see the preservation and enhancement of achievements by confidence-building mechanisms in 2020, including the Open Skies Treaty and the Vienna Document. Prime Minister, we welcome your focus on the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325 to promote the role of women in the field of peace and security. Preventing sexual violence continues to be a top priority for my government. We are very proud, Mr. Prime Minister, to give you our full support for the OSCE Chairmanship.