European leaders warned Thursday that the security situation in Europe remains complex and fragile following the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people last month.
The leaders, gathered at a ministerial conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said that only a joint global response can be effective in countering the threat.
German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier has called for unity saying “the situation is too dangerous, and freedom and stability too fragile for us to counter each other in lengthy statements over many days.”
He was apparently referring to the spat caused by the downing of a Russian plane by Turkey. Foreign ministers from the two countries are scheduled to meet in Belgrade later Thursday for the first time since the incident.
Global cooperation urged
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini added that “as threats become global and borderless, cooperation on a global scale is also crucial.”
Mogherini said that “security in Europe calls for more cooperative and effective global order.” She warned that “terrorism poses a direct threat to all countries and all people, regardless of ethnic background, religion or belief or nationality.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are attending the gathering in Belgrade focusing primarily on combating terrorism and the migrant crisis.
Steinmeier, whose country takes over next year from Serbia as OSCE chairman, says the role of Europe's main security organization should be bolstered in the face of the global terror threats.
The two-day meeting in Belgrade is to focus on terrorism, the migrant surge in Europe and the Ukrainian crisis.
