First Council of Ministers, Berlin

19-20 June 1991: As set out in the Charter of Paris 1990, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the participating States meet for the first time as the CSCECSCE
Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe Council of Ministers in Berlin.

The CSCE Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which was originally established in November 1990 by the Charter of Paris and later became the Ministerial Council, held its first meeting in Berlin on 19-20 June 1991.

The Ministers had earlier met in New York on 1-2 October 1990, just prior to the Second Summit of Heads of State in Paris, but this was the first time that they had met as the CSCE Council of Ministers.

In Berlin, they held consultations on "the European architecture and the strengthening of security in Europe, as well as the consolidation of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, on prospects for economic transition and social change in Europe, on current issues and on the future work of the CSCE."

Importance of continued transformation

The Ministers also "reaffirmed the importance of continued political and economic transformation in the democratic countries in transition towards a market economy," and stressed "the necessity to continue support to these countries in their efforts to consolidate democracy and transform their economies."

The Berlin Council of Ministers also issued a Statement on the Situation in Yugoslavia, in which they expressed their "support for democratic development, unit and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia, based on economic reforms, full application of human rights in all parts of Yugoslavia, including the rights of minorities, and the peaceful solution of the current crisis in the country."

It was also stressed by the Ministers that "it is only for the peoples of Yugoslavia themselves to decide on the country's future," and they called for a continued dialogue among all parties concerned.

They added that "the existing constitutional disputes should be remedied, and that the way out of the present difficult impasse should be found without recourse to the use of force and in conformity with legal and constitutional procedures."

Also at the Berlin meeting, the Republic of Albania was welcomed as a participating State, following the receipt by the Chairman-in-Office, German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, of a letter from the Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs accepting all CSCE commitments and responsibilities.