North Macedonia is getting ready for the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting scheduled to take place at the end of the month in Skopje. Bujar Osmani, serving as the OSCE Chairperson, expresses concerns about the future of the organization due to the potential blockage of decisions. The official gathering in Skopje is anticipated to be historic, marking the inaugural conference of this format.
Bujar Osmani, both the OSCE Chairperson and the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, characterizes the upcoming Ministerial Council meeting of the world’s largest security organization as extraordinary. Unlike in the past, discussions now revolve around who participates and who does not, driven by challenges, conflicts, and wars, especially in the Middle East and Ukraine.
“In this Ministerial Council, there won’t be extensive discussions about politics. The focus will be on the future of the organization – whether it will persist in its current form or not. Given that it is the world’s largest regional security organization, this underscores the significance of this topic. Therefore, public awareness of who will be part of this Ministerial Council holds considerable importance,” Osmani remarked.
Decisions within the OSCE hinge on consensus, requiring just one state to oppose each proposal for the organization’s future to impede decisions. This possibility is not ruled out at the forthcoming high-level meeting in Skopje.
Minister Osmani is unable to confirm whether Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the meeting, as his plane is prohibited from landing in Skopje due to EU and U.S. sanctions against Russia, to which North Macedonia has aligned.
“It is premature to confirm whether he [Sergei Lavrov] will attend or not; I believe that it will be clearer next week. As for Secretary [U.S. Secretary of State Anthony] Blinken, my earlier statement stands that there are no indications that he will not come. So far, all indications are that he will be in Skopje, and that is very important for us,” stated Osmani.
The Minister emphasizes that this event will be a pinnacle achievement for North Macedonia’s OSCE chairmanship, solidifying the country’s position as a key player on the international stage.
North Macedonia is gearing up for this significant meeting, expecting around a thousand delegates from OSCE member countries. November 30 and December 1 have been designated non-working days to regulate traffic in the capital, facilitating the movement of conference participants.
The North Macedonia Post Office unveiled a special postage stamp on Saturday dedicated to the country’s OSCE chairmanship and the upcoming OSCE Ministerial Council meeting.
“The motto is ‘The word is about people’, for what we all aim together. We live in troubled times, times of conflicts and crises; the extended hand, humanism, and the protection of people know no boundaries. Led by these ambitions, through this postage stamp, we extend a hand of friendship and compassion to all those in need,” conveyed Bujare Abazi, the Director of North Macedonia’s Post Office.
