Today 28 March, Undersecretary for Global Affairs Minna-Liina Lind was on a visit to the Austrian capital Vienna to meet with the OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu.
The meeting concentrated on the OSCEs role in supporting Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for its aggression. “With its aggression against Ukraine, Russia is violating all the fundamental principles of the OSCE. The sovereignty of countries and the inviolability of borders, refraining from the use of strength and territorial integrity are principles that are not subject to bargaining or interpretations,” Undersecretary Lind emphasised.
She also met with the Ukrainian ambassador and the ambassador of Finland, which currently chairs the OSCE, as well as ambassadors of several other participating states, with all agreeing that continued support to Ukraine and efforts to ensure Russia’s accountability must remain at the centre of the OSCE’s activities until peace and security in the whole OSCE region have been restored.
During her visit, Undersecretary Lind also met with Jan Braathu, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, to discuss possibilities for strengthening freedom of expression and media freedom within the cooperation of the OSCE and the Media Freedom Coalition. “Journalists and media professionals bring the truth to the public, often risking their lives in crises and conflicts. Unfortunately, we are seeing efforts across the world to silence journalists. We must work together to create new opportunities for protecting journalists and boosting the freedom of expression and media freedom,” Undersecretary Lind said.
Estonia is co-chairing the Media Freedom Coalition from 2023 to 2025. Reinforcing media freedom is also one of Estonia’s priorities in its campaign for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council for the 2025-2026 period.
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