Summary by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Didier Burkhalter of the first day of discussions at the OSCE Ministerial Council

BASEL, Switzerland, 5 December 2014 - OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter summarized the discussions of the first day at the OSCE 21^st Ministerial Council in Basel, noting that OSCE Foreign Ministers are meeting against the backdrop of one of the worst crises in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian area since the end of the Cold War.

Burkhalter said that there is general concern that the crisis in and around Ukraine is having a negative impact on security and stability in the OSCE area and beyond. He added that negotiations and other exchanges of views during the Ministerial Council have illustrated that there are diverging assessments on the root causes of the crisis.

He said that OSCE participating States are united in the conviction that there is no military solution to this crisis and pledge their strong collective support to its peaceful settlement and to all efforts directed towards resolving the crisis by diplomatic means and through inclusive political dialogue.

The first day of discussions also touched upon other existing conflicts in the OSCE area and showed the urgency of advancing solutions through established formats, Burkhalter said.

He also added that support was expressed for the Panel of Eminent Persons on European Security as a Common Project to complement and advance the efforts of OSCE participating States to conduct an inclusive and constructive security dialogue across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions.

Read the full summary at www.news.admin.ch/message/index.html?lang=en&msg-id=55531