The world is again facing the biggest challenge and OSCE is in the eye of the storm of the current aggression of one participating state over another. The aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is unjustified and wrong, a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, fundamental premises of international law and values of humanity. This war undermines the foundations of OSCE, which vision as a center of intercontinental security cooperation is under a serious test. As chair-country of the organization in 2023, the conflict in Ukraine and mitigating of the crisis’ far-reaching consequences will be our top priority, said Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani in presenting Macedonia’s priorities within its OSCE Chairmanship in 2023 before the organization’s Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.

The two critical drivers, dialogue and consensual decision-making, aimed at peaceful cooperation and sustainability, are sidelined. This paralyzes the assets of our organizations and bogs down their processes, adding, at the same time, further uncertainty and discomfort throughout the OSCE region and beyond, even calling into question our future as an organization, Osmani said.

He pointed out that the OSCE and its participating countries have been investing in building trust, institutions and mechanisms for years; insisting on dialogue, at times boring and yet a very necessary tool for overcoming disputes, precisely trust and cooperation were among the first victims of this aggression.