Baku, December 5, AZERTAC

Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the 31st OSCE Ministerial Council in Valletta, Malta, on Thursday.

In his remarks, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that the Ministerial Council meeting had been held under profoundly difficult circumstances.

“Violations of international law and the misinterpretation and selective application of international commitments lie at the heart of the erosion of trust and confidence and the continued crisis of multilateralism. Meanwhile, security and stability are under threat due to growing transnational challenges that know no borders and demand multilateral solutions,” he said.

According to him, rising ethnic and religious intolerance and discrimination, such as Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in Europe, are alarming. He added that it is urgent for the respective OSCE participating States to honor their relevant OSCE commitments and international obligations.

“Respect and adherence to the fundamental norms, principles, and commitments enshrined in the OSCE documents, starting from the Helsinki Final Act—particularly respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders of States—must remain the bedrock of security and peace, as well as the basis for dialogue and cooperation,” the FM noted.

Bayramov emphasized that Azerbaijan remains a strong proponent of effective multilateralism, including through the OSCE, and calls for constructive engagement in finding solutions to issues pertinent to the OSCE’s functionality, such as the earliest adoption of the budget and the settlement of the deadlock surrounding the issue of appointing the Secretary General and heads of executive structures.

“In full compliance with OSCE Financial Regulations, the Organization’s scarce resources must be allocated where they are needed most, to fund programmatic activities that are relevant and around which there is consensus,” he added.