OSCE Security Cooperation Forum Commends Russia's Chairmanship

The delegations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Forum for Security Co-operation gave a positive assessment to Russia's chairmanship of the event, according to Mikhail Ulyanov, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for arms control.

VIENNA (Sputnik) — The delegations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Forum for Security Co-operation gave a positive assessment to Russia's chairmanship of the event, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for arms control, Mikhail Ulyanov, told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

"That fruitful period was full of events, and, according to the responses expressed by the delegations yesterday, everyone has commended Russia's professional chairmanship. The feedback was positive," Ulyanov said.

According to the Russian diplomat, as a chair of the forum, the Russian delegation managed to find neutral topics for discussion that were in the interest of all parties. Much emphasis was thus placed on the small arms and light weapons and on the destruction of surplus stockpiles of conventional ammunition.

The Forum for Security Co-operation is one of the two OSCE principal decision-making bodies operating on a regular basis. The forum is responsible for military and political dimensions of security, including confidence-building measures. Its responsibilities were first formulated in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and further developed within the framework of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and OSCE. Russia became the presiding country of the Forum for the first time in 19 years and led the OSCE Forum from May to the end of July 2017.