Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – The Minsk Accords need a political momentum, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said when speaking at the international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” on 24 May, BelTA has learned.

Thomas Greminger called the crisis in Ukraine the biggest problem in the region and urged to work together on the solution. “We need to generate a political impetus to help the Minsk Accords move forward,” he said and suggested using the Normandy Quartet meetings for that.

The OSCE secretary general expressed confidence that over time the OSCE could provide a convenient platform for dialogue and, in this regard, noted that the OSCE need to think about Helsinki-2.

In general, Thomas Greminger called on all states to engage in a dialogue, without which it would be impossible to make a step forward and overcome the growing skepticism to the existing order. Without these efforts, he believes, it is possible to get into a situation from which it will be difficult to get out.

The international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” organized by the Minsk Dialogue initiative is running in the Belarusian capital on 23-25 May. Minsk Dialogue Forum 2018 is expected to launch a large annual gathering of leading experts from Eastern Europe, the EU, Russia, the United States, and China. Minsk hosts a brand new platform for discussions about the present and the future of the regional and international security.

The conference is attended by 350 experts and officials from more than 40 countries. Speakers include OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, Deputy Assistant of NATO Secretary General James Appathurai, former CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha, Director General of the Permanent International Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States Maira Mora, and former Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine Muttonen.