Statement by the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the OSCE, A.Dapkiunas, at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in response to the address by the OSCE[...]

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Statement by the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the OSCE, A.Dapkiunas, at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in response to the address by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland (January 15, 2026, Vienna)

The delegation of Belarus welcomes our Swiss colleagues but does not congratulate them on the commencement of their OSCE Chairmanship.

In today's circumstances, congratulations are hardly appropriate. A Chairmanship executed with honor is not a stroll; it is grueling, often thankless labor.

We sincerely wish the Swiss Chairmanship consistency and persistence in the honest fulfillment of the difficult duties of an unbiased mediator and a responsible coordinator of the organization's work.

Global events of recent years, and especially recent weeks, convincingly demonstrate that the world order established throughout the post-war decades is undergoing a fundamental shift.

Appealing to long-standing interstate obligations in such a situation is understandable and legitimate. However, while such references may soothe the conscience, they are unlikely to have a practical impact on the direction in which our world is heading.

The formidable geopolitical challenges of our time cause understandable anxiety for everyone. How are we to cope with them?

We believe that to move forward, we cannot do without an honest and perhaps painful reflection on what has happened to us and our world - an understanding of what we did wrong.

This is necessary to minimize the further destructive consequences of the reformatting of international relations and to attempt to steer them back into a constructive and predictable channel.

Thus far, such reflection has not occurred in many European capitals. On the contrary, the logic of military escalation currently prevails in Europe.

Despite repeated calls from Belarus, such an honest collective conversation has yet to take place within the OSCE as well.

A conversation about the origins and genesis of the current situation; a conversation driven by the desire to better understand each other's concerns and fears.

We must admit: without a readiness to listen to and understand one's opponent, any discussion promises zero returns.

Despite all the difficulties of current communication within the OSCE, the Chairmanship could attempt to organize such a conversation.

Perhaps it could take place within the framework of the Chairmanship's planned discussion on the historical legacy of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE).

When there is talk in the corridors of the organization about which year will be the OSCE's last, it would be wrong to plan work in a "business as usual" manner.

One cannot seriously discuss promoting strengthened cooperation if basic questions remain unanswered: how to stop the madness of enmity and hatred and the world's slow slide toward a military catastrophe?

To stop this madness, we must all work together to overcome a simplified, black-and-white vision of the world.
A world divided into "ours" and "enemies," into masters of this world and those whose aspirations and interests can be neglected.

Such a primitive worldview has already plunged the world into the abyss of world wars twice before.
Of course, this is primarily a task for our national leaders. However, we believe the OSCE can also play its part.

How?

Belarus proposes to place the main emphasis on restoring the quality of interstate interaction within the OSCE.
Such changes at the Vienna headquarters could help improve interaction between our capitals.
We can start small.

We propose to stop using OSCE forums as advertising platforms for propaganda and to move away from political theater within the organization.

We propose to shift the focus from routine events (which often yield zero results) to the balanced formulation of the agendas for the Permanent Council and the Forum for Security Cooperation, taking into account the interests and concerns of all participating States.

Unfortunately, judging by the topic of the special meeting of the Permanent Council convened for this afternoon, the Swiss Chairmanship has so far proved unable to go against the opinion of the majority and offer a balanced, consensus-based formulation regarding the item on Ukraine.

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