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Lavrov: Analysis of Europe’s military potentials bound to dispel Russian threat myth

We should unfold the map of the continent and look together what and where is deployed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said

HAMBURG /Germany/, December 8. /TASS/. An unbiased analysis of military potentials in Europe is bound to dispel the myth of Russian threat, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

"Only and exclusively equal dialogue is possible. Such dialogue will help create a political atmosphere to conduct, say, an unbiased comparative analysis of military potentials in Europe," he said at a meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"We should unfold the map of the continent and look together what and where is deployed," he said. "We are confident the results of such a survey will convincingly dispel the myth of the Russian threat and will graphically demonstrate where the risks originate from.".

Abandoning bellicose rhetoric would facilitate the improvement of the security situation in Europe, Lavrov also said at a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in the German city of Hamburg.

"The (security) situation is not hopeless. To find a way out, we believe it is necessary to abandon bellicose rhetoric that still continues to be spewed," he said.

"If you want to have dialogue with someone, you should not start by bringing about accusations against them and demanding the dialogue to be maintained on your terms only.

OSCE consensus principle

Attempts at departing from the principle of consensus within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will inevitably kill that organization, Russian top diplomat said.

"We cannot go on delaying reforms in our organization that has grown ripe," he said at a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council. "And, naturally, it is necessary to stop any attempts at deviating from the principle of consensus. They can bury OSCE."

Among other topical tasks for the OSCE the Russian foreign minister cited de-ideologization of economic space.

"It is important to promote a positive agenda in respect of cyberspace, to ensure the efficiency of the OSCE working group on measures of trust as long as the use of information technologies is concerned," Lavrov noted.

"It is necessary to begin with restoring the lost confidence," he said. "It can be achieved only on the basis of political will, mutual respect and strengthening the OSCE’s interstate foundation.".