North Macedonia to allow Lavrov and his retinue to attend OSCE meeting

SERGEY LAVROV. STOCK PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The government of North Macedonia decided at a meeting on Friday to permit Russian planes to fly over its territory so that a Russian delegation can attend a ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Source: European Pravda, citing a press release from the North Macedonian government in Skopje

Details: The North Macedonian government’s decision allows the Defence and Foreign Ministries to “make additional decisions on the issuance of overflight and landing permits for Russian aircraft during the thirteenth ministerial meeting in Skopje from 29 November to 1 December”.

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“This addition is in line with EU regulations and the provisions of the restrictive measures, which provide for an exception to the restrictions in question for international conferences such as the OSCE summit in Skopje,” the statement said.

According to media reports, the Russian delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, “his doctor, technical staff, and security”, 17 diplomats, including Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, and 24 journalists – a total of 85 people.

North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani had said earlier that the Russian delegation’s attendance at the OSCE ministerial meeting was in doubt because his country’s airspace and that of neighbouring states are closed to Russian aircraft due to EU sanctions against Russia.

Background:

• At last year’s OSCE ministerial meeting, hosted by Poland, Warsaw refused to allow Lavrov to enter the country. The move provoked anger from Moscow, which called the refusal “unprecedented and provocative”.
• Ukraine has repeatedly called for Russia’s expulsion from the OSCE. Last month, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia is now “killing” the organisation, adding that he can “easily imagine” it without Russia.

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