MINSK, Dec 5 (BelTA/APP): To end conflicts and achieve a new détente, full-fledged international communication must be restored, not further dismantled, Belarus’ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sekreta said at the plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna on 4 December, BelTA has learned.
“The crisis of the international security system inevitably affects the state of the OSCE. Our organization has ceased to be a forum for communication between those who disagree with each other. Instead of dialogue, we have seen a political show where countries are divided into ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. But the OSCE was never intended to be a club of like-minded states: it was created as a mechanism for interaction between opposing parties. We are convinced that without returning to this original purpose, the OSCE has no future,” Igor Sekreta said.
The Belarusian diplomat stressed that consensus is not a technical process, but the only way to ensure everyone’s participation. “Attempts to undermine it are a direct path to the disappearance of our organization. Today it is important to recognize the obvious: to end conflicts and achieve a new détente, we must first restore full international communication. If our governments are temporarily not ready for direct dialogue, we propose involving analysts, academia, and expert institutions to help launch such a dialogue. Belarus is ready to host these discussions without any preconditions,” the deputy minister added.