CHERNOVTSY (Ukraine), January 14 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow hopes that Ukraine’s rotating presidency of the OSCE will facilitate Europe's unification, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
“To promote a climate of trust and cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic region it is important to use the entire arsenal [of tools] at our disposal, including, of course, the OSCE, where Ukraine holds the rotating presidency this year,” he told a subcommittee session of the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission.
“We hope that our Ukrainian friends will do all they can to enable the OSCE to consolidate all of its member states on the basis of common objectives and interests.”
Ukraine will officially present the priorities of its presidency in the 57-nation organization at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on January 17.
The country is expected to prioritize conventional arms control, the struggle against human trafficking, reducing the impact of energy consumption on the environment and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Russia is open to a deeper strategic partnership with Ukraine, Lavrov said.
“I am convinced: together, we can do a great deal. This refers both to providing conditions for the development and prosperity of our countries and people and to dealing with all-European problems,” he said.
