Joint statement by Finland and Sweden

Mr Chair, Chairperson-in-Office Rau,

Finland and Sweden fully align ourselves with the EU statement, and we would in addition like to deliver a joint statement in our national capacities.

Finland and Sweden would like to thank you, Foreign Minister Rau, for your address to the Permanent Council, and for outlining the priorities of the Polish Chairpersonship in 2022. We strongly support your efforts to improve dialogue, confidence and security in order to return to a “Helsinki culture”, as you expressed it.  On behalf of Finland, I would also like to sincerely thank Sweden for the excellent work as the Chairpersonship-in-Office of the OSCE last year.

We welcome the CiO’s underlining of the OSCE as a relevant platform for discussing all aspects related to the comprehensive concept of security. The OSCE is uniquely placed as a forum for dialogue on European security since it brings together the widest range of States. It is vital that all European States have a say in discussions about European security.

We agree with the CiO that any such discussions should be held in full conformity with international law and our common principles and commitments, including the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe. These principles are non-negotiable. Non-adherence to the principles undermines not only European security order but also the rules-based international order and effective multilateralism, which should be a matter of concern to all countries.

In this regard, and in light of on-going discussions on Russian proposals for security guarantees, we would like to underscore the crucial importance of upholding the European security order, including our common commitment to the sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of States and the freedom of States to choose their own security arrangements. 

As stated in the Charter for European Security from 1999, no State, group of States or organization can have any pre-eminent responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the OSCE area or can consider any part of the OSCE area as its sphere of influence. As members of the European Union, we stand ready to engage in discussions within the OSCE on how to strengthen our common commitments across all three dimensions, including in the area of confidence and security-building measures. 

We would like to wish our Polish friends all the best for your Chairpersonship. Poland can count on our full support during your time as Chairpersonship-in-Office.

Mr. Chair, I would kindly request that you attach this statement to the journal of the day. 

I thank you, Mr Chair.