In December, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, plans to visit Malta to participate in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE. This information was confirmed by the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, Meduza reports.
This visit will be Lavrov's first to an EU country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Previously, the Russian minister was restricted in his access to the EU: in 2022, he was not allowed to attend a similar event in Poland, and in 2023, the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE was held in North Macedonia, which is not a member of the EU, but since 2019 is a part of NATO.
Since February 2022, Lavrov has been under personal sanctions of the European Union, which further complicates his diplomatic efforts in the region.
Lavrov's visit to Malta will take place against the background of a tense international situation. Russia recently blocked Estonia's appointment as OSCE chairman for 2024 because of its NATO membership and strong condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As a compromise, the management of the organization was transferred to Malta, which will now coordinate the work of the 57 OSCE member states in conditions of significant internal pressure and disputes, in particular, with the participation of Russia.
Lavrov's presence at such international events often causes controversy. Many Western leaders refuse to meet with him, accusing Moscow of trying to destabilize the activities of the OSCE, especially against the background of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. It is noted that the upcoming meeting in Malta may also take place in the context of a partial boycott by Western diplomats, who, most likely, will use the opportunity to publicly condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine.
