Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived at Skopje, North Macedonia, to join the 30th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday, local media reported.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Russian side has received a lot of requests for bilateral talks and accused the West of trying to prevent Russia’s normal participation in the meeting.
Some countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine, will boycott the meeting due to Lavrov’s planned attendance.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that the absence of the Baltic States will not affect the OSCE’s future.
Lavrov, who will have several bilateral meetings in Skopje, said at the 9th international forum Primakov Readings on Monday that he is pessimistic about the fate of the OSCE, which is dominated by the United States and its allies.
“It is still possible to try to save the OSCE, but the chances are slim,” he said.
