On February 24, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, participated remotely in the meeting of foreign ministers of the countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.
“Exactly a year ago, Russia started its brutal war against Ukraine. Russia’s aggression, facilitated by Belarus, has shaken the security architecture in Europe. We must stand against the aggressor and its violations of international law. Every sovereign state has the right to choose its own foreign policy course. This applies to Ukraine as well as to any other country. Ukraine has the right to defend itself against foreign aggression. Latvia honors all Ukrainians who died defending their homeland. The sole responsibility for the war lies with Russia. Russia started this war and Russia alone can and must end it immediately. Russia must withdraw its forces from the entire territory of Ukraine,” said E. Rinkevičs in his speech.
At the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned deliberate Russian attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. “Too many innocent civilians, including children, have been killed. More than 17 million people have been forced to leave their homes or leave their country,” stressed E. Rinkevičs.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia called on all OSCE member states to increase aid to Ukraine. “Since the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Latvia has provided it with all possible support. Latvia accepts refugees from Ukraine and will continue to provide humanitarian and defense assistance to Ukraine. Within the framework of the OSCE, Latvia contributes to the support program for Ukraine. We also supported OSCE experts investigating Russian human rights abuses in Ukraine. The results clearly proved that Russia has committed war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine. Russia will be held accountable. In addition to persistent efforts to investigate the heinous crimes, Latvia calls for the creation of a special international tribunal to examine the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” said E. Rinkevičs in his speech.
