In Skopje, North Macedonia, on November 30th, the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began with the participation of diplomats from the organization’s 57 member countries, including the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov.
Lavrov arrived in the Macedonian capital in the early hours of November 30th.
Lavrov’s plane was forced to travel over Turkey and Greece to reach North Macedonia.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who was on Lavrov’s plane, accused Bulgaria of “foolishness” for refusing Lavrov’s plane to fly over Bulgarian airspace.
Zakharova, who is under EU sanctions, stated that her presence on the plane was the reason Bulgaria denied passage over its airspace.
“This foolishness of Russophobia has reached the point where, for the first time in our history, authorities have not stopped the plane, but the person on it,” she wrote on Telegram, suggesting that Russia might impose similar flight bans “for thousands of NATO officials” and said Bulgaria “created a dangerous precedent”.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it did not allow Lavrov’s plane to cross Bulgarian airspace.
The Ministry stated that the permission was granted only to Lavrov and not to members of his delegation, some of whom are sanctioned by the EU.
“The permission was granted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov, to participate in the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje and is included in the exceptions from the application of the EU sanctions regime against him. The granted permission does not apply to the members of his delegation, who are also sanctioned individuals, as expressly stated in the response of the Bulgarian party,” the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its response.
The participation of the Russian diplomat in the OSCE summit was made possible by Skopje and Sofia, which temporarily suspended the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russian flights due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
This has sparked debates and reactions, as Russia, with its participation in this summit, gains and strengthens its position on the international stage, despite the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine and the Baltic states, in a sign of dissatisfaction, did not send their Foreign Ministers to the Ministerial Council.
The Summit’s proceedings unofficially began on Wednesday evening with an informal dinner and family photos, centered around the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. However, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, was absent as his plane had not yet arrived in Skopje.
After the informal dinner, the U.S. chief diplomat left Skopje, avoiding his presence in the same room with his Russian counterpart, Lavrov.
Following the meeting with the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia and the OSCE Chairperson, Bujar Osmani, the U.S. diplomat praised North Macedonia for successfully chairing the OSCE, welcoming Malta’s selection as the next chair in 2024.
“You have done an extraordinarily good job, expanding the mission of the OSCE despite significant challenges. I am pleased that Malta will take over. We have a strategic partnership that is truly focused on the work we do together as allies and partners, but also on the work we do together bilaterally,” said Blinken.
North Macedonian Chief Diplomat Osmani thanked Blinken for exceptional support during North Macedonia’s OSCE chairmanship and informed him of the “solution to critical existential challenges for the OSCE chairmanship in 2024”.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made no further comments about the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting and the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
However, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, also present at the informal dinner of the OSCE Ministerial Council, commented on the participation of the Russian diplomat.
Borrell said, “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov must hear from participants in the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje why Russia is isolated and sanctioned, and he must convey the messages to the Kremlin”.
The European diplomat said he understands countries like Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which decided to boycott the summit due to Lavrov’s participation. He also mentioned Skopje for its decision to allow the official Russian presence.
“I understand that some participating countries were not satisfied with your decision to allow Minister Lavrov to participate. I understand because, with Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, it undermines the same principles of the OSCE and violates laws, and for this reason, it faces international sanctions and isolation. However, your decision to allow Lavrov’s participation is in line with our common goal, to keep multilateralism alive,” said Borrell.
The European high official welcomed the agreement for Malta to chair the OSCE in 2024 and added that he believes the decision will be confirmed at the Skopje summit.
Similar to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy left Skopje after the informal meeting to avoid a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
During the summit proceedings, in addition to deciding on the next OSCE chair, participants are expected to approve other decisions, such as the budget and appointments to key positions within the organization.
On the first day of the Council, on Thursday, the signing of the joint declaration on the fight against corruption in Southeastern Europe through property restitution and the use of digitization is scheduled. The second topic is related to the impact of climate change on people’s security in OSCE member states.
The two-day OSCE Ministerial Council meeting is the largest diplomatic event ever held in North Macedonia.
Macedonian authorities have taken additional security measures by restricting traffic in key parts of Skopje, and a day off has been declared in the capital.
