Address by H.E. Mr. Ivica Dačić First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia at the OSCE Ministerial Event regarding the Crisis Of European Security and the role of the OSCE:

"Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,

I welcome this timely initiative to exchange views on the role of the OSCE, as well as on the broader questions of the European security structure in the light of the current crisis in Ukraine. The time of Serbia's OSCE Chairmanship is approaching fast. During my current stay here in New York, I have met many colleagues and discussed what lies ahead after 1 January 2015; the discussions will certainly help us in our preparations for the challenging task of steering the work of the OSCE next year.
We share the assessment that the crisis in Ukraine is a great challenge to European security. It brings into question the very concept based on the guiding political documents, such as the Helsinki Final Act, Charter of Paris for a New Europe and the Istanbul Charter for European Security. We expected that the concerted efforts of the participating States, based on the achievements provenant from these documents would be continued; instead the OSCE principles have been infringed upon and the idea that was nourished for decades through the cooperative spirit and action within the CSCE and OSCE has been undermined by growing mistrust and disagreements. The reasons for such developments are many, but I will not dwell upon them now.

I would stress, however, that, on many occasions since the outset of the Ukrainian crisis, we expressed our position on the norms and values which should guide the actions of States in the international arena on the basis of respect for international law, as embodied in the United Nations Charter, and on dialogue as the only means of peaceful resolution of the crisis.

We welcomed the Ceasefire Agreement and the subsequent Minsk Memorandum of 19 September reached within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group on its implementation. We hope that it will mark the beginning of a peace process which may not only resolve the current crisis in Ukraine, but may create an impetus for a renewed comprehensive dialogue on European security.

The resolution of the crisis in Ukraine should be seen in a broader context that will conduce to preempting recurrence of similar crises in the OSCE region in the future. In order to achieve this, the participating States should work on reconsolidating the consensus on European security first and foremost by reaffirming the basic OSCE norms, principles and commitments and their full implementation in good faith.

In the past four decades, the OSCE has evolved in a progressive manner. It developed systematically flexible and sophisticated mechanisms to respond effectively in all phases of the conflict cycle, particularly in terms of early warning and early action. This was possible due to the political will of the participating States to engage in cooperative processes and the balancing and comprehensive character of the OSCE as a security organization. The Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is the latest example of such an effort.

We believe that, as the biggest regional organization, the OSCE has a great role to play in conflict prevention and conflict resolution and that its unique capability should be utilized to the fullest in cooperation with other international organizations, particularly with the United Nations under Chapter VIII of its Charter.

The Ukrainian crisis is a stark reminder of an urgent need for joint action and a dialogue-based approach. Despite the current challenges, the areas of common interest continue to exist and should be explored to the greatest extent possible in order to create an environment in which trust and confidence among participating States can be restored. We deem that the Helsinki +40 process which, in current circumstances, was sidelined provides an appropriate framework for addressing these issues. In pursuing the cooperative endeavour, we should draw lessons both from positive and negative experiences while working on the peaceful resolution of the crisis. At the same time, we should aim at reconsolidating the European security as a common project and strengthen the OSCE's role and its capacity to act. The capacity to act, though, will require stable and sound resources, both human and financial.

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, I would like to stress that your introductory statement provided food for thought for all of us to dwell upon and consult about between now and the Ministerial Council in Basel in December. As an incoming Chair-in-Office, we are ready to assist you in the consultations in the hope that, in Basel, we shall reach an understanding on the way forward in addressing the current challenges during my country's OSCE Chairmanship.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman."