MINSK, 9 December (BelTA) - The informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the CSTO member states took place in Hamburg on 8 December, on the sidelines of the 23rd meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The event was chaired by Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei.
The parties adopted a joint statement on enhancing the OSCE efficiency in the common European security system. The ministers also talked over the agenda of the forthcoming meeting of the heads of state of the Organization in St. Petersburg which is scheduled for 26 December 2016.
Belarus' Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei held working meetings with Austria's Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria Sebastian Kurz, Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto, Mongolia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsend Munkh-Orgil, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert Berschinski. The parties exchanged opinions on a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda and cooperation in international organizations.
Vladimir Makei also met with President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Christine Muttonen and OSCE PA Vice-President Kent Harstedt to discuss cooperation between Belarus and the Assembly, including the Annual Session of the OSCE PA in Minsk in July 2017.
Speaking at the plenary session of the Ministerial Council, Vladimir Makei stressed the need to address the existing security and cooperation deficit, strengthen stability in the OSCE region. In this regard, he drew attention to the Belarus President's initiative to launch a new peace process, similar to the Helsinki Process, for a frank exchange of views on the causes of the crisis in international relations and the understanding of the new rules of the emerging multipolarity. The head of the Belarusian delegation emphasized the need to organize a meeting of the leaders of Russia, the U.S., EU and China. Vladimir Makei stressed that, if necessary, the international expert community can be called upon for joining the process, and reaffirmed Belarus' readiness to host the corresponding meetings in Minsk.
The meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council will continue on 9 December 2016, and will be concluded with the adoption of a number of final documents.
