Friday, December 8 2017 18:03

ArmInfo. The foreign ministers of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia at the 24th meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers issued a  joint statement on the issues of interconnectedness and integration  processes in the OSCE region. This was reported by the press service  of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia,  Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, recognizing the key  importance of the economic and environmental dimension in the context  of the OSCE concept of a common, comprehensive and indivisible  security and common security space free of dividing lines;  cooperation in the OSCE region, including interconnectedness, should  be based on solidarity, transparency, equal partnership without  discrimination, on mutual accountability and full respecting the  interests of all OSCE participating States, Aware of the growing role  of international trade as one of the most important factors of  economic growth and social progress, Stressing the importance of the  denial of the OSCE participating States from the logic of dividing  lines and closed borders, the application of unilateral economic  sanctions, economic blockade, visa and other restrictive measures,  isolation from regional economic projects, Convinced that joint  efforts aimed at promoting cooperation in the trade, transport,  energy, investment, the environment, as well as in other areas of  economic activity, contribute to confidence-building, peace and  security in Europe and the world; Conscious that global economic  challenges and growing economic interdependence in the world are  leading to more effective common efforts to solve the world's major  economic problems; Recognizing that regional and subregional  integration processes and integration agreements can give a powerful  impetus to the development of trade and economy in the OSCE area, as  well as in the OSCE participating States; Reaffirming that  cooperation between the participating States, as well as the  international and regional organizations to which they belong, is one  of the most important ways to strengthen security and stability and  to prevent possible conflicts in the OSCE region, we call upon the  OSCE participating States to redouble their efforts to achieve the  strategic goal of the Astana the OSCE summit - the formation of a  free, democratic, common and indivisible Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian  security community," the joint statement reads.

The joint statement of the ministers expresses the conviction that  there is an urgent need to "build bridges" and advance integration of  the integration processes in the OSCE region, primarily with the aim  of expanding economic cooperation and increasing the level of trust  between the OSCE participating States, and also creating  prerequisites for the formation of a common economic space from  Vancouver to Vladivostok.

At the same time, the heads of foreign affairs agencies invite  participating states to take additional measures to simplify the  terms of mutual trade and develop multimodal international transport  corridors, including the creation of the necessary transboundary  transport infrastructure and harmonization of customs procedures, on  the basis of equal partnership and without prejudice to each other's  interests; continue to help each other in enhancing the integration  of our economies into the world economic and financial system,  primarily through the early accession to the World Trade Organization  (WTO). "We call upon the participating States to use the OSCE as a  platform for dialogue and joint efforts of international and regional  organizations operating in its area of responsibility aimed at  facilitating economic interconnectedness, removing barriers in  various areas of economic cooperation, ensuring sustained economic  growth, developing the digital economy, and also on a more active  interaction of integration processes in the OSCE region, emphasizing  that the integration of integration processes on the open The OSCE  would make a significant contribution to building a genuine security  community without dividing lines, based on cooperation, mutual trust  and consideration of the interests of each participating State, urge  the upcoming Italian Chairmanship, as well as OSCE participating  States, to intensify the dialogue on these issues in 2018 including  through the organization of special events of political and expert  level, "the joint statement of the ministers stresses.