German Foreign Minister and the 2016 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaks during a press conference before the opening session of the 23rd annual meeting of OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg, northern Germany, Dec. 8, 2016. The OSCE Ministerial Council convened Thursday its 23rd annual meeting to discuss security issues including conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)
HAMBURG, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- 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.
