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At OSCE PA, Belarus voices readiness to initiate European security talks
MINSK, 18 November (BelTA) – Belarus is ready to initiate and participate in platforms for discussing ways to strengthen security in Europe, Sergei Rachkov, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives and head of Belarus’ National Assembly delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, said at the session “Bridging Perspectives: Reinforcing Dialogue, Mediation, and Trust in an Era of Uncertainty” during the 23rd OSCE PA Autumn Meeting, BelTA has learned.
According to the Belarusian representative, the session’s theme perfectly reflects the core challenge facing the OSCE, as the very possibility of respectful dialogue in Europe is now being called into question. There are increasingly more accusations and fewer proposals for a joint solution to the crisis, he noted.
The parliamentarian stated that Belarus does not share the approach of ensuring the security of some at the expense of others. He argued that this ‘NATO-centric’ paradigm undermines the very idea of collective security and renders mediation and compromise impossible.
“In the 20th century, diplomacy saved Europe. It was thanks to negotiations that the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter were signed. Today, we must remind ourselves of this lesson again,” emphasized Sergei Rachkov.
He stressed that Belarus is ready to initiate and participate in platforms to discuss strengthening European security, a fact demonstrated by the recent Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. The parliamentarian invited all interested parties to participate in its fourth meeting in 2026.
“We are confident that if the OSCE once again becomes a platform where people truly listen and hear each other – a platform for mediation, not an instrument of political pressure – then Europe will have a chance to restore peace and stability,” he said.
The regular session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly began in Istanbul, with the Belarusian delegation participating actively.
Earlier, the delegation addressed the OSCE PA Standing Committee, stating that Europe appears uninterested in peace, with growing militarization, especially in Belarus’ neighboring countries – a path Belarus believes leads nowhere.
The delegation also proposed initiating serious work on the Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century, intended to shape a new Eurasian security architecture.
The Belarusian delegation’s speech sparked a lively discussion, which was joined by the OSCE PA secretary general and parliamentarians from France, Poland, and Ukraine.
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