12. Emphasizes that peace and security, including energy security, are among the matters of concern in times of crisis and conflict; 13. Underscores that threats or use of force against participating States exercising their rights in their territory or their Exclusive Economic Zone constitute a grave violation of international law and undermine stability and security in Europe; 14. Underlines that participating States have the sovereign right to explore and exploit their energy resources in their territory or in their Exclusive Economic Zone, in accordance with customary international law and pertinent treaties, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; 15. Highlights the importance of the protection of critical energy infrastructure from terrorist attacks; 16. Calls on participating States to enhance co-operation to strengthen the resilience and safety of electricity grids in the OSCE area; 17. Recognizes that strengthening energy security requires sustained measures at national, regional, and international levels in several areas, including increasing energy efficiency, market transparency, diversifying energy supplies, and protecting the critical energy infrastructure and energy supply systems; 18. Encourages participating States to explore options for modernizing their existing energy infrastructure in a co-ordinated way to strengthen energy security at the regional level; 19. Stresses the importance of realizing the full potential of existing energy supply routes, thereby reflecting the interests of countries of production, transit and consumption in the area of energy security; 20. Takes note of the Sustainable Developments Goals, in particular Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; 21. Encourages participating States to continue to use the OSCE as a platform for exchange of information and sharing of best practice for strengthening energy security; 22. Encourages substantive discussions on the environmental dimension of energy security and potential implications of energy challenges on the security situation in the OSCE region; 23. Encourages the OSCE Chairmanship and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities to further facilitate meaningful discussions among participating States, relevant international and regional organizations, civil society, academia, and the private sector on the issues related to energy security. 39