Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Security, Ukraine

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In his remarks, Rinkevics highlighted the OSCE's role in addressing the crisis in Ukraine, and he highlighted the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and cooperation with Central Asia on strengthening security in Europe.

"The crisis in and around Ukraine has provided a tragic example of failing to respect the principles of the OSCE. We are also deeply concerned by the serious human rights violations in eastern Ukraine and further deterioration of the situation in the illegally annexed Crimea in particular with respect to the Crimean Tatars," Rinkevics stressed. The minister also reiterated Latvia's unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and independence of Ukraine.

Rinkevics expressed support for the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission, which has demonstrated dedication, professionalism and bravery throughout the crisis. He also noted the necessity for improving cooperation among OSCE member states to increase trust with respect to investigations of cyber-crime.

"We must not forget the continuing conflicts in Moldova, Georgia and over Nagorno-Karabakh. Therefore, I hope that these issues will be high on the agenda of the next OSCE chairmanship. Today we are also facing an ever growing global threat posed by terrorism. The recent barbaric terrorist attacks carried out in Paris are an act of war against France and Europe and our common values. We fully support the efforts of the international community in fighting against terrorism, along with other countries that are part of the Global Coalition to counter ISIL/Da'esh," Rinkevics said.

The minister drew attention to the role of Asia and its engagement in the OSCE activities, especially in the area of border management and prevention of terrorism. "We should aim at further enhancing of cooperation with the Central Asia and we hope to see this question on the agenda of the next chairmanship," said Rinkevics in concluding his remarks.

The OSCE Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the foreign ministers of the 57 OSCE participating states an opportunity to review and assess the organization's activities during the past year and to offer national viewpoints on security and cooperation.