Basel Ready for Fruitful Work of OSCE Foreign Ministers

The Swiss city of Basel is almost ready to host December 4-5 annual meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It has brought together the majority of participants representing 57 countries participating States.

Yesterday the headquarters of the organization laconically reported that ministers will assess the progress of the previous steps and take decisions on new commitments to ensure the political, military, economic, environmental and human security.

The Council of Ministers was established in the Charter of Paris for a New Europe (1990), under the original name of "Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs," and in 1992 received more powers in the area of conflict prevention and crisis management. 1994 Budapest Document renamed it the "Council of Ministers" confirmed its key role.

The two-day Council takes place at the end of each year, and in the final stages of each presidency. He acts as the primary format of decision-making between the summits of the OSCE, and provides a rare opportunity to participate in multilateral and bilateral negotiations on security and other issues.

The meeting agenda is expected tough. At the Council planned to consider 20% return.

Before the summit, foreign ministers’ main attention is focused on the discussion of the so-called project "Helsinki + 40". It was signed in December 2013 in Kiev, the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE in order to increase the efficiency of the organization after 40 years of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act.

The signing of the Helsinki + 40 scheduled for 2015 and its provisions should strengthen the fundamental principles of sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty; use of force or threat of force; inviolability of borders, as well as in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and human rights violation.

According to diplomatic sources, the presidency of Switzerland will take the initiative to the establishment of the Group of Zion of eminent politicians to promptly find ways to overcome the crisis.

Among the priority issues of the summit and Europe's relations with Russia, the events around Ukraine, regional conflicts including Karabakh. During the meeting scheduled meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group.

In addition to the problems of the OSCE also talk about some of the successes, one of which will be an agreement on arms control between the former Yugoslav republics - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and Serbia. It will enter into force on 1 January 2015 and is considered. -0-