Estonia not withdrawing its candidacy for OSCE chairmanship

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Estonia is not withdrawing its candidacy for the OSCE Chairmanship 2024. Photo: Tairo Lutter

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said via video bridge at a meeting of the permanent council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Tuesday that Estonia is not withdrawing its candidacy for the OSCE Chairmanship 2024.

According to Tsahkna, the main goal of the OSCE is to support Ukraine in the full-scale war of aggression initiated by Russia.

«By violating the basic principles and obligations of the OSCE, Russia has significantly damaged the organization's ability to work and led the OSCE to the biggest crisis in its history. Today, we are in a situation where the organization does not have a chairman for next year, the budget has not been approved for the second year, and the mandates of the secretary general and heads of independent institutions of the OSCE will soon expire,» the minister said.

«In such circumstances, we must show that we can be creative and find solutions that do not harm the future of the OSCE or its basic principles and allow the OSCE to continue its important work,» Tsahkna added.

The minister also stressed that Estonia is the only candidate for the chair of 2024 and will not be withdrawing its candidacy.

«We remain dedicated to the OSCE basic principles and commitments as well as taking the work of the organization forward,» Tsahkna said.