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1st LD: OSCE foreign ministers meet to discuss conflicts in Ukraine, Syria

Xinhua, December 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council convened here Thursday its 23rd annual meeting to discuss security issues including conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

The two-day meeting, a gathering some 50 foreign ministers from across the OSCE region, was inaugurated by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also the 2016 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.

In his opening speech, Steinmeier said it's "indispensable" that a strong OSCE is needed now more than ever for a secure Europe, adding that OSCE is a platform to keep up dialogue between East and West.

The Ministerial Council, composed of the foreign ministers from OSCE participating states, is the central decision-making and governing body of the organization. Endi