The Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Helga Maria Schmidt, spoke out against calls to exclude Russia from the 57-nation organization because of the war in Ukraine, DPA reported.

"I think that in any case, from today's point of view, it makes sense for Russia to remain a member of the OSCE," she said.

The call for Russia's exclusion from the OSCE was made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

"One day we will need channels for negotiations again," Schmidt said, noting that the OSCE is the only security organization where all key European partners sit together at the negotiating table.

The OSCE was created in connection with Cold War confrontations by countries that had very divergent interests but sought to prevent escalation, Schmidt recalled.

The OSCE condemned Russian missile strikes against the civilian population in Ukraine

She added that alongside the conflict in Ukraine, there has been a dramatic increase in human trafficking.

"Globally, internet demand for sexual services and pornographic images of Ukrainian women and children has increased by up to 600 percent since the beginning of the war. Trafficking in pregnant women has also grown significantly," the OSCE Secretary General said. 

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