Top diplomats from more than 50 countries arrived in North Macedonia on Wednesday for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, while others boycotted the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Quick Read
- OSCE Meeting in North Macedonia: Over 50 countries’ top diplomats gathered in North Macedonia for an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting.
- Boycott Over Russian Participation: Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania boycotted the meeting due to the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
- Brief Visit by U.S. Secretary of State: Antony Blinken briefly attended the meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia, but left for Israel shortly after without encountering Lavrov.
- Blinken’s Criticism of Russia: Blinken accused Russia of violating core principles of the OSCE and obstructing its work.
- North Macedonia’s Role: As the current OSCE chair and a NATO member, North Macedonia temporarily lifted its flight ban from Russia for Lavrov’s visit.
- Lavrov’s Rare NATO Visits: Lavrov visited North Macedonia, a NATO member, marking a rare visit during the ongoing war with Ukraine; he had previously visited NATO ally Turkey and attended the U.N. gathering in New York.
- North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister’s Remarks: Bujar Osmani commented on efforts to use the OSCE as a platform for holding Russia accountable for actions in Ukraine.
- Meeting Agenda: The OSCE meeting included a working dinner and formal talks discussing the organization’s future and current challenges.
- Decisions to be Made: Key decisions include electing Malta as next year’s chair, the OSCE budget, and filling important positions.
- Joint Statement by Baltic Ministers: Foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania criticized Lavrov’s attendance as providing Russia a propaganda opportunity.
- Ukraine’s Criticism of Russia: Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry accused Russia of blocking consensus on key OSCE issues, including Estonia’s candidacy for chair in 2024.
- Security Measures in Skopje: High security in Skopje, with police sealing off the venue and declaring a public holiday to reduce traffic.
The Associated Press has the story:
Top diplomats arrive in N. Macedonia for security meeting as some boycott Russia’s participation
Newslooks- SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)
Top diplomats from more than 50 countries arrived in North Macedonia on Wednesday for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, while others boycotted the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had said they would not attend the talks due to Lavrov’s participation and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a brief stop in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, for the meeting but left for Israel hours later. He did not encounter Lavrov, who was due in Skopje late Wednesday.
Blinken accused Russia of “flagrant violations of every single core principle” of Cold War efforts to ease East-West tensions that led to the creation of the OSCE, and “relentless efforts to obstruct the OSCE’s work.”
Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels earlier Wednesday, Blinken said that the other OSCE member nations “are showing determination to make sure the organization continues to fulfil its purpose to advance European security.”
North Macedonia, a NATO member who holds the OSCE’s rotating chairmanship until Dec. 31, briefly suspended its ban on flights from Russia for Lavrov to fly in.
Russia’s top diplomat is making a rare visit to a NATO member country during the war that started with his country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lavrov also has visited NATO ally Turkey, which has no ban on Russian flights. In September, he was in New York to attend the U.N. gathering of world leaders.
In remarks with Blinken, North Macedonia’s foreign minister, Bujar Osmani, said his country’s chairmanship had sought to turn the OSCE into “a platform for political and legal accountability of (Russia) for its atrocities in Ukraine.”
The OSCE meeting started with a working dinner on Wednesday. Formal talks over the next two days will discuss the future of the organization and the challenges it faces.
The participating ministers are expected to decide whether Malta will be elected chair for next year. Other decisions include the OSCE budget and filling key positions.
In a joint statement Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said Lavrov’s presence at the meetings “will only provide Russia with yet another propaganda opportunity.” Separately, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry claimed that Russia “systematically blocked the consensus on key issues,” citing its opposition to Estonia’s candidacy for chair of the organization in 2024.
Security will be high in Skopje. Police sealed off a sports venue where the talks are talking place. The government declared Thursday a public sector and school holiday to reduce traffic.
