Chairman in Office urges participating States to refrain from unilateral actions and to engage in a meaningful dialogue

Bern, March 1, 2014 - OSCE Chairperson in Office and Swiss  Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter has expressed his deep concerns about the volatile and further aggravated situation regarding Crimea. He welcomed the UN Security Council members’ commitment to Ukrainian unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty as expressed during its meeting on Friday, February 28.

“In addition to the UN Security Council which agreed on the importance of restraint by all political actors in Ukraine, I call upon all participating States to observe OSCE principles, in particular those enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act, and to commit themselves to a peaceful solution of the crisis. I strongly urge participating States to refrain from unilateral actions and to engage in a meaningful dialogue in the framework of bi- and multilateral formats. The OSCE provides for a comprehensive dialogue platform.”

Burkhalter reiterated the announcement of the visit to Crimea of his Personal Envoy, Tim Guldimann, and the High Commissioner of National Minorities, Astrid Thors, early next week.