Minister Mitov praised OSCE role in addressing the crisis in Ukraine
05 December 2014 News
Confronted to the crisis in and around Ukraine and taking into account the active role of the OSCE for its settlement and preventing it from becoming another frozen conflict in the OSCE area, the 21st Ministerial Meeting in Basel was charged with major political expectations for a breakthrough in the relations between the West and Russia.
As a responsible EU member state and NATO’s ally, Bulgaria contributes to restoring the climate of trust between the OSCE participating states in the context of the crisis in Ukraine and declares its support for strengthening OSCE’s authority as an important regional organization with its own identity and added value in strengthening Europe’s security.
Minister Daniel Mitov reaffirmed our national position that Bulgaria supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. Bulgaria condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea and does not recognize the results of the illegitimate elections in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which contravene international law and violate the Minsk agreements. Bulgarian Foreign Minister praised the role of the OSCE and its independent institutions in the de-escalation of the crisis in Ukraine.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Swiss Confederation Didier Burkhalter, expressed gratitude for Bulgaria’s contribution to the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine with 9 observers and 50 000 euro financial aid.
Russia blocked the adoption by consensus of Minister’s Political declaration on Ukraine. After a number of adjustments, the declaration on the Helsinki +40 Process became the main political document of the meeting. It identifies concrete steps within the agreed road map for the realization of the objectives to maximize the OSCE’s role in 2015 under the Serbian Chairmanship.