International Working Group: Thinking about a Common European Future

Sculpture Mir (Peace), Dnipro Metro Station, Kiev
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Sculpture Mir (Peace), Dnipro Metro Station, Kiev

Press-Statement

Potsdam, 22nd September 2015

Over the last two days (21/22 September 2015), civil society actors and think tank experts from Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Germany have met to confer on the crisis of the European security order and on ways out of the current political-military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The conference was organized by the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation, the Moscow Organizing Committee of the All-Russia Civil Forum, the Institute of Public Affairs, Warsaw and the International Centre for Policy Studies in Kiev.

The participants agree that the European order of peace must be based on already agreed values and rules, particularly on sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states. We trust that the Helsinki Final Act should continue to serve as the foundation for security and cooperation in Europe.

The violation of the principles established back then has led us to the current crisis. The participants agree that a resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be founded on these principles.

The participants express their interest in continuation of consultations in order to contribute to the idea of the implementation of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act.