Acting OSCE Chairman and North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine at the beginning of the meeting: “The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine contradicts everything that this organization holds dear.”
Lavrov landed in Skopje on Wednesday evening. Because of his participation, Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania canceled their participation in the annual OSCE meeting. Poland called Russia’s presence in the North Macedonian capital “unacceptable.” At last year’s meeting in Poland, Russia had not been invited since February 2022 because of the war in Ukraine.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is taking part in the meeting for Germany. She had defended her presence by saying that more cooperation and security were needed in Europe “right now”. “I am convinced that every effort is worth it to preserve the OSCE,” said the Green politician before her departure.
Founded in 1975 and based in Vienna, the organization includes European states, Turkey, the former Soviet republics, Mongolia, the USA and Canada. The aim at the time was to reduce tensions in the Cold War between East and West.
