MINSK, August 1. /TASS/. The OSCE has no common understanding of its mission and values and is harming interstate cooperation instead of promoting it, a senior Belarusian diplomat said.
"The future of the OSCE is only possible if its member states stop using the organization as a venue for the emotional expression of mutual claims, but as a practical instrument for promoting dialogue and strengthening interstate cooperation across the entire Eurasian space," Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta said during events on the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. "Today, the OSCE mechanism is not merely running idle but is openly doing harm."
According to Sekreta, like 50 years ago, Europe is facing the risks of a big war and is guided by a "self-imposed prophecy of war." "But the OSCE will not be able to bring or preserve peace and mutual understanding against the will of its member states. The OSCE lacks common will. Much is being said about values and principles but there is no common understanding of a shared mission and shared values," he stressed.
The senior Belarusian diplomat noted that diplomacy is the only remedy in this situation. "To overcome the barrier in the dialogue, we need to clarify the situation: the cessation of hostilities and a new detente in Europe will be an outcome of rather than a prerequisite for any improvement in international communication. We can do this by acknowledging the obvious and then agree on a future mechanism of security in Eurasia," he said, adding that once government officials are not yet ready to dialogue, it might be launched by analysts, scientists, and journalists.
"To help the entire community move forward, we will be glad to dedicate our traditional Minsk conference on Eurasian security that will be held on October 28 and 29 this year to these topics. Belarus believes that on the 50th anniversary of the OSCE we could send a more optimistic signal to the world," he added.