"Helsinki legacy at risk, trust needs to be restored"

"Helsinki legacy at risk, trust needs to be restored"

The crisis in and around Ukraine has posed a challenge for the most basic and core principles of security and shook the foundations of the European security architecture, Dacic said in a speech on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act.

He expressed belief that despite today's challenges, OSCE can find an encouragement and inspiration at the core of the Helsinki Final Act.

Serbia, which is currently holding the OSCE chairmanship, along with other members of the OSCE Troika, is doing all in its power to help reaching a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis, Dacic said, calling on all sides to respect the truce fully and unconditionally.

Dacic also warned about the influence that the crisis in and around Ukraine could have on the frozen conflicts in Moldova and the South Caucasus, as well as transnational and global threats such as terrorism, organized crime and climate changes, and also a surge in the number of migrants and refugees in the OSCE region and beyond.

Also on Friday, he "expressed concern over the security situation in Europe."

"We all feel great discomfort and concern over the current security situation in Europe, Dacic said at an informal high-level meeting in Helsinki with Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter.

In his address to the ministers after a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act, Dacic underlined that it is necessary to promote the dialogue between the OSCE members so that they could respond to the challenges together.

He said that at the moment the greatest challenge for the OSCE is to find a political solution to the crisis in and around Ukraine while abiding by the Helsinki principles.

Dacic said that different interpretations of threats and events have contributed to quick decline in mutual trust, stressing that it is important for the OSCE members to display differences in a sincere and open manner.

It is necessary to agree on the manners of restarting the process of reaching a general agreement with a view to the security situation in Europe, Dacic said.