1. As we approach the end of the successful French Chairpersonship of the FSC, we start by thanking Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo for her concluding intervention.
2. Ambassador, let us now thank you and your team for the excellent work done as the Chair of this Forum. Thanks to your dedicated leadership we were able to focus on key challenges in the OSCE area over the past three months and in particular on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions for European and global security. We also reiterate our steadfast commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and international law.
3. Madam Chair, the four Security Dialogues which you organised in this trimester, on rehabilitation and reintegration of wounded military personnel and veterans, women in armed forces, prisoners of war as well as on the Agreement on Subregional Arms Control derived from the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were all relevant for the work of this Forum and allowed us to have timely and pertinent discussions on topics that we should be addressing here. We are confident that you will continue to make important contributions within the FSC Troika.
4. We now welcome Georgia as it soon takes over as the new FSC Chair. We also welcome the United Kingdom as the latest Troika member and bid farewell to Finland leaving it.
Thank you.