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Russia hopes for businesslike discussion in OSCE under Sweden’s presidency — envoy

Sweden will assume the rotating OSCE presidency on January 1, 2021

VIENNA, July 17. /TASS/. Russia hopes the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe would demonstrate a businesslike approach to discussions during Sweden’s presidency in the organization in 2021, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said.

The Russian diplomat said during the organization’s Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on Thursday that the return of normal dialogue should become the main goal of the next year’s presidency, especially when the military and political situation in the Euro-Atlantic region is rapidly becoming more and more unpredictable and uncontrolled.

"International instruments of arms control are being destroyed. The NATO policy of deterring Russia and boosting military infrastructure near our borders continues to provoke tensions and loss of confidence," Lukashevich said.

"We hope that the Swedish presidency will manage to discuss even the most difficult issues in a businesslike and non-conflict manner. This particularly applies to our cooperation within the framework of the Forum for Security Co-operation, which should be prevented from turning into a fruitless confrontation," the Russian envoy continued.

In his words, a search for points of convergence and compromises should become the goal, instead of attempts to sow discord and draw dividing lines.

Sweden will assume the rotating OSCE presidency on January 1, 2021. The country’s envoy to OSCE presented the presidency’s priorities to the Permanent Council via a video linkup on Thursday.

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