OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation N°1083 Vienna, 3 July 2024

1.Mr Chair, we welcome convening today's Forum in a formal setting with a regular agenda as should always be the case. At the same time we condemn that Russia is arbitrarily trying to pick and choose when it wants to engage. As such it prevents the other 56 OSCE participating States from regularly using the FSC as a formal platform for dialogue as mandated, while we all clearly see that Russia has a needfor discussing FSC-related topics. The FSC is the unique platform for dialogue that we already have.
2.The Annual Security Review Conference last week demonstrated how valued the work of the FSC is and the importance it has for the OSCE within the European security architecture. We must all strive to preserve it. Regretfully, this is even more the case in view of Russia's continued illegal, brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine. We are very grateful to the Maltese Chairpersonship in Office for its commitment and leadership to bring this important conference together for the first time in two years.
3.The EU and its Member States strongly condemn the recent escalation of hostilities by Russia, in particular the further intensified attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The EU Leaders Summit last week reiterated that our commitmentto Ukraine is unwavering and we will continue providing political, financial,economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its peoplefor as long as it takes and as intensely as needed. Russia must not and cannot prevail.
4.During the Summit, EU Leaders also welcomed the Joint security commitments concluded between the European Union and Ukraine as well as further bilateral security agreements concluded with Ukraine by Member States and partners. For the EU, these commitments cover both security and defence aspects as well as wider security. This includes i) Predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment; ii) Military training and defence reform; iii) Cooperation between the European and the Ukrainian defence industry; iv) Resilience, cyber and hybrid threats, including foreign information manipulation and interference; v) Military and civilian mine action; vi) Civilian Security Sector Reform and support to law enforcement; vii) Preventing and countering the diversion of firearms and small arms and light weapons; viii) Support to energy security, energy transition, and nuclear safety and security; and ix) Sharing intelligence and satellite imagery.
5. The wider security commitments contain i) Support Ukraine's progress in the European Union accession process and continued support to reforms, ii) Continued diplomatic support to Ukraine and global outreach towards a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine; iii) Predictable financial support and support to recovery reconstruction and modernisation; iv) Gradual integration into the EU single market; v) Continuous protection to people fleeing Russia's war of aggression; vi) Continued readiness to maintain and to impose new restrictive measures to uphold pressure against Russia, and full and effective implementation of existing sanctions; vii) Take the work forward towards the use of the revenues from Russia's immobilised assets to support Ukraine; viii) Support to accountability mechanisms for international crimes, including a tribunal for the crime of aggression; and ix) Further building on regional cooperation, including the Eastern Partnership and in the Black Sea region.
6. Mr Chair, the EU and its Member States once again call on Russia to immediately stop its illegal, unjustifiable and unprovoked war of aggression, to put an end to this unbearable suffering and devastation, and to completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. We also condemn the continued military support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine provided by Belarus, as well as Iran and the DPRK. We urge all countries not to provide equipment, ammunition or other support for Russia's war of aggression, which is a manifest violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and the OSCE core principles and commitments.
Thank you.

The Candidate Countries NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, and GEORGIA, as well as the EFTA countries ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN and NORWAY, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.