Thank you Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the eight Nordic-Baltic countries.

We would like to congratulate Her Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, and Finland, for taking on the Chairmanship of the OSCE for 2025. Furthermore, we also welcome and congratulate the new Secretary General and heads of the OSCE’s autonomous institutions on assumption of their duties, and wish them success for their tenure.

Mister Chair,

We wholeheartedly support Finland’s Chairpersonship Programme and its focus on respecting the OSCE’s values and commitments, responding to the current challenges that the OSCE area faces, with a particular focus on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and preparing the organization for the future. Furthermore, we appreciate the commitment to focus on gender equality and inclusion for the year ahead.

The Nordic-Baltic countries continue to condemn Russian Federation for its unjustified and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We call for Russia to cease all hostilities and attacks against its neighbour, and to completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, and comply with its international obligations. We will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed, and do all in our power to ensure Ukraine´s rightful integration in the Euro-Atlantic security structures.

We would like to, once more, reaffirm our commitments to the OSCE’s values and principles. We will work to restore respect for the commitments and principles of our organization, enhance its mechanisms, and ensure it continues to play a pivotal role in promoting peace and security, across our region in line with the comprehensive concept of security. We look forward to working with the Finnish Chair in Office, and you can fully count on our support. 

I thank you, Chair!