Margareta Cederfelt and Bärbel Bas, Berlin, 15 December 2022BERLIN, 16 December 2022 – Concluding an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt and Secretary General Roberto Montella today expressed appreciation for the active role of Germany within the OSCE and its Parliamentary Assembly, noting that this engagement is needed more than ever in order to support Ukraine and uphold the principles of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act.
In meetings with President of the Bundestag Bärbel Bas and Minister of State for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmann, as well as with the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence Thomas Hitschler and with members of Germany’s OSCE PA Delegation, the Russian aggression against Ukraine dominated discussions. The sides focused on ways for the OSCE PA to contribute to ending the war, with German interlocutors expressing support for continued multilateral engagement in this regard.
During meetings with the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as leaders of various political party factions in parliament, the delegation had the chance to discuss the engagement of the OSCE PA, as well as the impact of the war on the states in the OSCE region.
President Cederfelt emphasized her appreciation for Germany’s support for Ukraine and stressed the need to keep up the support for Kyiv as well as the pressure on Moscow, including by ensuring accountability for war crimes.
She also highlighted the important work being done by German parliamentarians in the OSCE PA, including Special Representative on South East Europe Michael Link and Special Representative on Eastern Europe Daniela De Ridder, as well as many others who actively participate in statutory meetings and election observation missions.
“The OSCE PA remains one of the most unique platforms for parliamentary diplomacy,” Cederfelt said. “With a historical record of holding productive talks at times where dialogue seemed impossible, I am proud of not only what we have done since 24 February 2022, but also in the past eight years since the illegal annexation of Crimea – to keep Ukraine at the top of the agenda.”
She added that German engagement in the OSCE PA has been instrumental in contributing to constructive dialogue, including through the Leinsweiler Seminar series, which will be relaunched in the upcoming year.
“The German contribution to the OSCE has always been and continues to be greatly appreciated,” Secretary General Montella added. “Hosting our Assembly on several occasions, the efforts to finance and support both the Assembly and the OSCE, all remain a strong pillar of support and are testament to the German commitment to keep the spirit of Helsinki alive and well.”
In addition to extensive meetings at the Bundestag and the Ministry of Defence, meetings were held with a number of non-governmental organizations including the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and the Centre for OSCE Research (CORE), to exchange views on the current developments within the OSCE region and the future of the organization.
For video of Margareta Cederfelt being formally welcomed at the Bundestag on Thursday, please click here.
