Mr Chairman, Mr Secretary General, Ministers, Excellences,
I would like to thank the Serbian Chairmanship and the Chairperson-in-Office, Ivica Dačić, for your efforts over the past year, and for hosting us here in Belgrade. Sweden fully subscribes to the statement of the European Union. In addition, I would like to highlight some areas of particular importance to Sweden.
First of all, the OSCE plays a crucial role in European peace and security and continues to provide an important platform for dialogue. This dialogue must be based on the core OSCE principles and commitments we have all agreed to. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act and the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Paris. These documents, which laid the normative foundation of the European security order, are as relevant as ever. Regrettably, the European security order as we have come to know it is now seriously challenged by Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, its illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, and its involvement in destabilising military acts in eastern Ukraine.
These actions constitute a flagrant breach of the Helsinki Final Act and international law. Läs talet