The annual meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has started in Poland. Russia is a member, but Poland has refused entry to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over its invasion of Ukraine. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) regrets this: he “actually thinks it is an own goal of the security policy,” he said on Thursday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, on the other hand, wants the OSCE to continue without Russia. This has led to a conflict that could have far-reaching consequences.
It is a pity “if you don’t use a platform that has been there since the Cold War, since 1975, for what it was actually made for, for exchange, even in difficult times,” Schallenberg emphasized in a conversation with the ORF in Lodz. , whose sound recording was available to the APA. “We shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that we just want to sit here with those who think like us, who think like us.”
“Don’t Destroy Platform”
In his speech to the participants of the meeting on Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also addressed this issue. It is important to allow representatives of all participating states to attend high-level meetings, such as today. Let’s not destroy that unique platform that was our collective response to the tensions of the Cold War, to the deep division between East and West,” Schallenberg stressed.
On the other hand, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reiterated in Lodz his country’s demand that the OSCE continue without Russia. Despite the efforts of OSCE representatives, the organization is currently “on the road to hell because Russia violates its rules and principles,” Kuleba said, according to the German news agency. The conflict now threatens to block the passage of the next budget. In recent years, the OSCE has repeatedly been hampered by blockages in its decision-making. As early as 2020, Russia and Central Asian states had blocked the renewal of the mandates of the organization’s four top posts, plunging the organization into institutional crisis for months.
Schallenberg warned of a similar situation and vowed by the importance of the Vienna-based OSCE’s ability to act. “But it is also up to all of us to maintain the OSCE’s clout. I’m not talking about the big hit. But from the regular budget. About the extension of the mandate of our field missions. Of a presidency for the year 2024,” he warned.
Lavrov attacks organization
Previously, Lavrov had attacked the OSCE as a partisan. Before the war broke out, OSCE observers stationed in the Donetsk region ignored and in some cases even aided the Ukrainian army’s increasing attacks on Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. “Evidences have been discovered that the OSCE participated in directing the fire on Donetsk and Luhansk,” Lavrov claimed. The OSCE mission ended in March. Corresponding documents were found after the expulsion of the observers.
Lavrov also accused the organization on Thursday of being dominated by the West and of having lost its importance as a mediator. In October, the OSCE condemned Russian attacks in Ukraine as “terror” against the civilian population.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
