OSCE Chairman: the discussion about the exclusion of Russia has exhausted itself

The discussion about Russia’s exclusion from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has exhausted itself. This statement was made on Friday, December 1, by the current chairman of the organization, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani.

The politician confirmed that “there was a discussion in the OSCE about expelling Russia due to a violation of the fundamental principle of the organization.”

However, Osmani emphasized, it is impossible to exclude the Russian Federation from the OSCE for legal and political reasons. He recalled that the purpose of the organization is to bring European countries together “through cooperation and inclusion, a comprehensive approach to security for peace and stability in our region,” and without Russia’s participation this will be impossible.

After Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, there were calls from Kyiv and a number of Western countries to exclude the Russian Federation from international organizations and cooperation formats. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba refused to participate in the OSCE meeting in North Macedonia in November due to the presence of the Russian delegation.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, answering the question whether the chances of preserving the OSCE have increased, said: “The chances have increased, but not of preserving it.” The diplomat emphasized that for cooperation and ensuring mutual security within the OSCE very little has been done.