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Lavrov urges OSCE to use its ‘potential’ to help sort out Ukrainian, Transnistrian crises

Russia's top diplomat also praised OSCE’s co-chairmanship in the Geneva discussions on stability in Transcaucasia

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. It is important to use the potential of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to resolve conflicts in Ukraine and Transnistria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger on Friday.

"We heard about your statements concerning those plans that you want to implement in this capacity," Lavrov said.

"We support them. We especially support your stance in favor of an open and equitable dialogue without preconditions on all issues."

According to Russia’s top diplomat, "such an approach would release the OSCE’s huge potential in making collective decisions to resolve common problems."

It is important to use this potential to help resolve crises, above all, in Ukraine, Transnistria and in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, he noted.

"We appreciate the OSCE’s co-chairmanship in the Geneva discussions on stability in the Transcaucasia region and believe it is important not to weaken the organization’s attention in its work in the Balkans," Lavrov said.

"In general, your balanced approach is very relevant in a situation when the OSCE is ripe for changes in its geographical and thematic activities, all three baskets of its work. We will do our best to contribute to that."

"I hope that we will have a useful conversation from this perspective today, discuss the tasks facing the organization and how Russia can contribute to their implementation," he concluded.