Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) wants to maintain communication channels with Moscow against the background of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The top diplomat said this towards the end of his stay at the general UN debate in New York.
“Of course we should,” Schallenberg replied when the APA asked him whether we should continue talking to Moscow. Corresponding platforms exist for this, for example in the UN or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Such organizations have never been clubs of like-minded people. “This dialogue was always very difficult, even during the Cold War. We must not forget that,” the politician warned.
“We share this planet,” Schallenberg continued. There are many questions – for example about the climate or disarmament. We will only make progress if we talk to Moscow. This is of course difficult because Moscow is trying to take over another state in a neo-imperialist manner.
Conversations at eye level
You can’t just sit back here, because it’s also about our safety. “We trust that everyone will adhere to international law, regardless of whether they have nuclear weapons or not,” the diplomat said. For him, the most important thing is to keep all channels of dialogue open. You must speak at eye level and show respect. People should not treat each other in a teaching manner and with wagging fingers.
The Security Council must be reformed
Turning to the Security Council, he noted that reforms were necessary – because it “reflected the situation after the Second World War”. “Whole continents, let’s think of Africa, let’s think of Latin America, are not represented at all in this commission, which is at the same time – if you like – the world policeman.” He now felt a greater willingness to address the issue. than previously addressed.
Other problem areas also come into view
A special conclusion for Schallenberg is that the UN General Assembly was not exclusively dominated by the issue of Ukraine and Russia. There was a lot of talk about the Middle East, about the situation between Israel and Saudi Arabia and about the Sahel region or West Africa. You shouldn’t just be “Eurocentric navel-gazing and only thinking about us.”
There are problem areas from Afghanistan to Ethiopia to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Myanmar in Asia. “We must also commit ourselves, we must stay on the ball and show as Europe that we do not apply a double standard here and that Ukraine is important to us, but other situations are not,” said the top diplomat.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
