Some countries boycotted the event due to the presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have declared that they will not participate in the negotiations, to which S. Lavrov has been invited, as the war started by Russia in Ukraine continues.
Poland also said on Wednesday that it would boycott Thursday and Friday’s OSCE meeting in Skopje because of Lavrov.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a brief stop in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where the meeting will take place, but left for Israel a few hours later. He did not meet Lavrov, who arrived in Skopje late on Wednesday.
A. Blinken accused Russia of “grossly violating all the basic principles of the Cold War-era efforts to reduce tensions between East and West, which led to the establishment of the OSCE” and of “relentless efforts to obstruct the work of the OSCE.”
Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels earlier on Wednesday, Blinken said other OSCE members “are showing determination to ensure that the organization continues to fulfill its goal of strengthening European security.”
NATO member North Macedonia, which holds the rotating presidency of this European security institution until December 31, temporarily suspended the ban on flights from Russia so that S. Lavrov could fly.
Russia’s top diplomat rarely visits NATO countries amid the ongoing war, which began when his country invaded Ukraine in February 2022. S. Lavrov also visited NATO ally Turkey, where there is no ban on Russian flights. In September, he had arrived in New York, where he participated in the meeting of the United Nations world leaders.
Bujar Osmani, North Macedonia’s foreign minister, told Blinken that his country’s presidency sought to turn the OSCE into a “platform for political and legal accountability for its (Russia’s) atrocities in Ukraine.”
On Wednesday, the OSCE meeting started with a working dinner. The future of the organization and its challenges will be discussed over the next two days.
The participating ministers are expected to decide whether Malta will be elected to hold the presidency next year. Other decisions will be related to the OSCE budget and the filling of key posts.
A high level of security will be ensured in Skopje. The police closed the sports building where the negotiations will take place. The government declared a day off for the public sector and schools on Thursday to ease traffic congestion.
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2024-08-26 11:32:15