I am most delighted that the OSCE budget for 2016 was adopted on time today. It was a tough nut to crack and required dogged negotiations in Vienna and with my fellow foreign ministers in the respective capital cities over a prolonged period, including during the Christmas break.

The fact that we have managed to get the budget for the coming year under lock and key today is also thanks to the willingness on the part of the OSCE partners to compromise and to reach out to each other when this is called for.

The smooth running of the organisation is therefore now ensured.

This is a good omen. We can now devote our full energy to the business of day‑to‑day work right at the start of our OSCE Chairmanship.