- Title: OSCE needs to be strengthened - Germany's Steinmeier
- Date: 8th December 2016
- Summary: HAMBURG, GERMANY (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER ARRIVING FOR STATEMENT AT ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE) MINISTERIAL COUNCIL REPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "This fundament seems disordered these days, the supporting pillars have become fragile, rhetorics have become harsher, especially between East and West. I also say this with view to the violence in eastern Ukraine, which re-occurred in recent weeks. I say it with view to the escalations in Berg (Nagorno)-Karabakh in April, all this shows how vulnerable the peace framework in Europe still is or has become again." MEDIA STEINMEIER SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "The OSCE plays an important role for freedom in Europe, I think an irreplaceable role. We would like to do everything possible here in Hamburg to make the instruments of the OSCE for conflict prevention, conflict management and conflict aftercare even better or I could say even more effective." REPORTERS TAKING NOTES STEINMEIER SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "We also would like to discuss how to prepare the OSCE for the future, together with my successors for the chairmanship [of the OSCE], with Austria and Italy, I have already proposed ideas. We need common answers for new global challenges like terrorism, extremism, cyber attacks and especially we need to - and this is going to be an ongoing issue - build trust where it has been lost, create more security and as a contribution for it I have proposed to try a restart of arms control." VARIOUS OF STEINMEIER SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 09:29
- Keywords: OSCE Ukraine Europe Steinmeier
- Location: HAMBURG, GERMANY
- City: HAMBURG, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C0WRPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told delegates at the start of the 23rd OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Ministerial Council in Hamburg on Thursday (December 8) that the general peace framework in Europe had become vulnerable and the OSCE should be made even more effective in order to deal with future conflicts.
"The OSCE plays an important role for freedom in Europe, I think an irreplaceable role," he told the foreign ministers of the OSCE participating states at the conference venue, the Hamburg Messe.
Germany currently chairs the OSCE and Steinmeier underlined that he had already proposed future ideas together with successors Austria and Italy.
"We need common answers for new global challenges like terrorism, extremism, cyber attacks and especially we need to - and this is going to be an ongoing issue - build trust where it has been lost, create more security and as a contribution for it I have proposed to try a restart of arms control," he said.
The two-day conference is expected to focus especially on conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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