He called to strengthen the role of the Organization during these "turbulent" years and thus conribute to European peace and security.
"In the OSCE, we should resume the dialogue about our common security… We must restore the lost trust," the politician said.
The fact that Germany will chair the OSCE in 2016 is an important signal, according to journalist Claudia von Salzen. In her article for the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, she cited an expert in Eastern Europe, Stefan Meister, who stressed the importance of the Organization for the European and Transatlanctic dialogue.
According to Meister, after the Cold War the organization lost its original meaning. "For too long, Western governments made no attempts to revive the OSCE," the expert stressed, adding that only the war in Ukraine showed the significance of the Organization again.
According to Dr. Gernot Erler, Special Representative of Germany for OSCE Chairmanship 2016, there are few platforms besides the OSCE which enable a dialogue with Russia. Erler argued that Steinmeier would not miss such an opportunity and would make every effort to overcome the current "confidence crisis" between Russia and the West.
"In the context of the deepest crisis between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War, it is advisable to start the de-escalation process having positive connotations," Erler concluded.
