MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – The tragic events in Ukraine provoked unprecedented tensions in Europe, the biggest in the past decades, and heightened long-standing disagreements, Belarus’ Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said at the plenary session of the OSCE annual Ministerial Council in Basel, Switzerland, on 4 December, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

“The tragic events in Ukraine became a catalyst of unprecedented tensions in Europe, the biggest in the past decades, and heightened the long-standing disagreements in the region. These events laid bare systemic security issues in the OSCE region. Many started speaking about the return to the Cold War times. We have approached a dangerous line. If we cross it we will get into a totally different world, not the one the Helsinki process initiators dreamt about,” the Belarusian Foreign Minister said.

Vladimir Makei deems it necessary to undertake urgent and decisive measures to prevent the aggravation of mutual accusations, threats and sanctions. “We need to abandon the confrontation logic and return to the mutually respectful and constructive dialogue. In our view, this is the essence of the OSCE, the organization that was designed as an instrument to overcome disagreements, reconcile positions and strengthen common security,” he said.

The Foreign Minister pointed out that at the previous Ministerial Council of the OSCE in Kiev, the Belarusian delegation stated that the attempts by certain partners to push for their own agenda at the cost of the interests of other states, the double standards, as well as political and economic coercion do not bring the OSCE member states closer to achieving their goals in security and cooperation; on the opposite, they distance them from the Helsinki values and principles.

“Unfortunately, the events of the recent year have eloquently showed that our concerns were grounded. The political crisis in Ukraine that was caused in many ways by the abovementioned reasons, degraded into a violent military conflict that brought destruction and suffering and resulted in thousands of civilian deaths,” Vladimir Makei noted.

In his view, the major objectives of the OSCE should be the following: to prevent new dividing lines in the region, preserve and promote the principles and values of the organization among its member states and to prevent and settle conflicts.

“We support the efforts of the Swiss and, in the future, the Serbian chairmanship to give a new impetus to the discussions within the framework of the Helsinki+ 40 process, including the idea to set up a “group of wise men”. The disagreements that have aggravated recently should not become an excuse to give up on efforts to resolve complicated issues on the OSCE agenda. Instead, they should encourage the partners to ramp up their efforts,” the Foreign Minister said.

He noted: “We believe that it is imperative to use the OSCE platform to implement the idea of “the integration of integrations” that implies a dialogue and cooperation between various integration associations on the territory of our organization.”

In conclusion Vladimir Makei thanked OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter for a considerable contribution of the Swiss chairmanship into the work of the organization during this very difficult year. He also wished Serbia success as it will assume OSCE chairmanship in 2015.