Dear Ambassador, thank you for organising this event so that we can properly conclude the Danish Chairpersonship. We note that the Russian delegation has decided to block an agenda with a closing session on it, which was so far never objected to and is a common procedure. The EU and its Member States strongly reaffirm the importance of this Forum as well as the need to meet weekly to discuss the politico-military matters.
1.Allow us to thank Acting State Secretary for Foreign Policy Eva Barløse for delivering her closing statement.
2.Mr Chair, over the past four months, your efforts for this Forum were aimed at allowing us to continue our weekly deliberations in line with the OSCE Rules of Procedure in order to deliver on our mandate given to us by all the Ministers. Facing continued obstructions by the Russian Federation, the importance you give to the FSC was evident at every meeting you chaired. We commend your engagement in these difficult times, and thank you and your able team for your efforts in making sure this Forum continues to deliver and remains functioning. The FSC will continue to serve all 57 participating States. Disagreements with the Forum’s Chair should not serve as a pretext to obstruct our meetings. While disagreements among participating States clearly persist, they should not prevent our dialogue.
3.The three Security Dialogues you envisaged for your Chairpersonship were timely and pertinent. The topic of the first was the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security, adoption of which we marked last week on 3 December. This Security Dialogue made clear how relevant these commitments remain, 30 years since the Code’s adoption in 1994. It is now essential for all participating States toensure the Code is implemented and adhered to as necessary and that all of us fulfil our commitments.
4.Second was the discussion on Full Gender Equality in Conscription, which wa sorganised as a side event. This did not diminish the significance of this topic in any aspect,
and we reiterate that gender mainstreaming and women’s participation are cross cutting priorities and any Security Dialogue in the political-military dimension should consider aspects of the women, peace and security agenda as an intrinsic element.
5.We also focussed on the Helsinki Decalogue. This is the bedrock of the OSCE which has guided our relations and represents the values that united us for the last 50 years. Sadly, it remains challenged by one participating State, Russia. By launching its unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has broken the principles and commitments on which European security is built.
6.In addition, new developments during the last trimester made you, together with the Maltese CiO, add to our agenda the topics of ‘The Russian Federation’s military cooperation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the possible implications for its ongoing aggression against Ukraine’ and ‘The Escalatory Use of Strategic Weaponry in Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine’. These two occasions clearly underscored why Russia’s shameful and devastating war of aggression remains the primary focus of our work in this Forum and of this Organisation overall, as Russia violates the OSCE’s principles and commitments as well as the UN Charter.
7.Let us now voice our determined support for the incoming Spanish Chairpersonship, wish them the best of success, and welcome Estonia to the Troika. Together with Denmark continuing in the Troika, we count on the Chair to provide strong leadership in this Forum in the months to come. We also bid farewell to Croatia and thank them for all their work in this past year.

Thank you.
The Candidate Countries NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, and GEORGIA, the EFTA countries ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN and NORWAY, members of the European Economic Area, as well as ANDORRA and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to bepart of the Stabilisation and Association Process.