Brussels. January 19. INTERFAX - EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrel discussed the Ukrainian crisis and Russian proposals on European security with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau.
"They discussed Russia's military buildup around Ukraine, as well as current bilateral and international diplomatic relations related to Russia's attempts to redefine security mechanisms in Europe," the European Foreign Service (EMU) communique issued in Brussels on Wednesday evening following a four-way telephone conversation.
The EMU report notes that the parties "confirmed the need to comply with the fundamental principles of the existing European security architecture, enshrined, in particular, in the OSCE framework."
"They stressed their determination to continue intensive consultations to determine ways to resolve the situation through bilateral and multilateral diplomatic cooperation, presenting a strong, clear and unified transatlantic front," the document says.
In this regard, the EBU recalls that the Foreign Ministers of the EU member States at a meeting in Brest, France, last week agreed to further strengthen coordination with the United States and NATO, as well as to expand cooperation of the European Union within the OSCE, and asked the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Borrel to coordinate this activity.
Brussels also reports that the four-way telephone conversation took place after recent exchanges of views between partners, including with Ukrainian colleagues and on the eve of the US talks with Russia.
