OSCE meeting opens with fury over Russian participation

Top diplomats from more than 50 countries are in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, on Thursday for a summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The meeting of the world's largest regional security group has been largely overshadowed by outrage over Russia's war in Ukraine and Moscow's participation in the event. 

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine flies in the face of all this organization holds dear," said Bujar Osmani, North Macedonia's foreign affairs minister and OSCE chairman in office, during opening remarks as the summit kicked off.

"The war undermines trust, dialogue, and our capacity to deliver," he added.

Lavrov's awkward presence 

Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are not taking part in the OSCE meeting in protest of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's attendance.

"We just cannot ignore the fact that the Russian minister of foreign affairs will be present at the table of the organization that is supposed to build peace and security in Europe," Polish Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told reporters on Wednesday.

Balkan countries have raised concerns that Lavrov would use the OSCE meeting as a platform to spread "Russian propaganda." 

Meanwhile, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said he thought Lavrov's attendance would be a good opportunity for Moscow's top diplomat to hear from OSCE members "why Russia is being condemned and isolated."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters in Skopje as she arrived at the meeting that it was important to stand up against Russia's "imperial madness" at the summit.

How did Russia respond?

Russia has accused Western countries of trying to block its officials from the meeting, saying that such attempts threaten "the very existence of the organization." 

"The OSCE is being turned into an appendage of NATO and the European Union," Lavrov said at the summit. "The organization is on the edge of a precipice." 

Delegates from several states left the room during Lavrov's speech. 

Moscow was earlier also irked by a Bulgarian decision that prohibited Lavrov's plane from flying over its territory on route to Skopje. His spokesperson said on Thursday he was forced to take a longer route over Greece.

NATO member and current OSCE president North Macedonia had briefly suspended its ban on flights from Russia for Lavrov to fly in.

Blockade in OSCE 

The foreign ministers are expected to ratify a ruling on the OSCE's rotating presidency during their two-day meeting. 

NATO member Estonia had sought the role, but Russia and Belarus openly rejected it. Instead, and after months of negotiations, Malta agreed earlier this week to takeover the organization's presidency next year. 

Germany's Baerbock said on the sidelines of Thursday's meeting that the OSCE's decision-making processes must be strengthened "even if Russia has put massive obstacles" in the way of its work. 

"The Russian government's perfidious game is and was also to destroy organizations that rely on peaceful coexistence and cooperation, with its brutal war against Ukraine," Baerbock said, adding: "And we will not allow that to happen."

fb/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)