Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement:
"Canada joins other OSCE participating states in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the founding document of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is the bedrock of comprehensive and cooperative security in Europe and beyond.
"The OSCE has played a vital role in Euro-Atlantic security by establishing an effective arms control architecture and a system for advancing norms in human rights, fundamental freedoms, and democracy. In a world where our shared values are increasingly being challenged, the OSCE today is more important than ever. Canada reaffirms its commitment to European security and the principles of cooperative engagement that the OSCE has championed to help shape transatlantic stability over the past five decades.
"Canada has been and will continue to be a reliable leader and partner in safeguarding multilateralism and the rules-based international order. Canada reaffirms its commitment to the Helsinki Final Act and the fundamental principles that underscore it: sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful cooperation. These principles remain even more relevant today in light of Russia's blatant violations of them."
