Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – It would be great if the Minsk Dialogue Forum transformed into a large-scale negotiation process, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger told reporters on the sidelines of the international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” on 24 May, BelTA has learned.

Thomas Greminger underlined that an inclusive dialogue needs platforms, especially informal ones. He noted that if the ongoing forum in Minsk grows up into a major negotiation process, this will be great. “We should once again demonstrate that we stand by our commitments and principles elaborated during the Helsinki Process. If this is the process that will help us, it will be great,” the politician said.

“A key to security is furthering a dialogue. Today’s event is a case in point. We are grateful to Belarus for this opportunity, because we are very concerned by the current status of international relations. The first thing to do is to prevent escalation of the situation. Therefore, a dialogue is just want we need,” Thomas Greminger added.

The international forum “Eastern Europe: In Search of Security for All” is taking place in Minsk on 23-25 May. It has been organized by the expert initiative Minsk Dialogue. The forum is expected to launch an open and large-scale dialogue between leading experts from Eastern Europe, the European Union, Russia, the USA, and China on an annual basis. Minsk provides a brand new platform for discussions about the present and the future of regional and international security.

Taking part in this forum are 350 experts and officials from more than 40 countries. The speakers include OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy 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.