HAMBURG, Germany, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is more important than ever in current stormy times.
The organization provides an effective framework and engine for dialogue and cooperation, he said during the opening session of the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council in German city of Hamburg.
Steinmeier, also the 2016 OSCE chairperson-in-office, opened the two-day meeting, which gathers some 50 foreign ministers from across the OSCE region including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU high representative Federica Mogherini.
"By renewing dialogue, we wish to contribute to rebuilding trust that has been lost. This is indispensable to restoring security in the OSCE area, from Vancouver to Vladivostok," he said.
With a view to existing conflicts in the OSCE area, Steinmeier underlined the need for the commitment of OSCE participating states to make the best use of the instruments and capacities that the OSCE can offer in conflict settlement.
Looking at the crisis in and around Ukraine, Steinmeier reminded participants that the implementation of the Minsk agreements required real political will. He also commended the work of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and called protracted obstructions, threats and attacks against the monitors unacceptable.
Meanwhile, he stressed the need for a fresh start in arms control and the establishment of a "structured dialogue" to this end.
The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the foreign ministers of the 57 OSCE participating states an opportunity to review and assess the organization's activities and strengthen the dialogue on security issues in the OSCE area.
The Council will also set the course for the future work of the OSCE with Austria taking over the chairmanship from Jan. 1, 2017.
