Belarus, Ukraine urge further reforms in OSCE

Belarus-Ukraine ministerial consultations on the issues of the OSCE and the Council of Europe have been held in Kyiv. The Belarusian delegation was led by the chief of the pan-European cooperation department of the Foreign Ministry Roman Romanovsky. “The parties emphasized the importance of further reforms in the OSCE, including adoption of a charter and completion of the formation of the international legal framework of the organization, improvement of the methods and practice of election observation,” the Foreign Ministry said. The participants of the consultations spoke in favor of a greater focus on economic and environmental dimension of the OSCE, closer cooperation in responding to new challenges and threats. They also pointed to the importance of further optimization of events in line with the human dimension of the organization. “The parties shared views on the state and prospects of Belarus-Ukraine cooperation with the Council of Europe and participation of the two countries in the legal instruments of the Council of Europe,” the Foreign Ministry added.