Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania to abstain from OSCE meeting in disapproval of Russia’s joining
Date
11/29/2023 2:54:47 AM
(MENAFN) Estonia, Latvia, as well as Lithuania have declared their decision to abstain from this week's Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting, expressing disapproval of Moscow's anticipated involvement in the event.
On Tuesday, the three ex-Soviet nations revealed their intention to refrain from participating in the upcoming OSCE summit, declaring that they “deeply regret” the invitation extended to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“Lavrov’s attendance at the OSCE Ministerial also risks legitimizing aggressor Russia as a rightful member of our community of free nations, trivializing the atrocious crimes Russia has been committing, and putting up with Russia’s blatant violation and contempt of the OSCE fundamental principles and commitments,” they stated in a mutual declaration, indicating Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. “We, the Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will not be part of this and will not share responsibility for [the] consequences it will create.”
Kiev declared in a similar manner that it will abstain from the event, which is scheduled for North Macedonia's Skopje on Thursday and Friday, with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry blaming Russia for making an “existential crisis within the OSCE” and turning the agency “into a hostage of its whims and aggression.”
“We should focus our common efforts on how to save the OSCE from Russia, and not send messages about the possibility of returning to the forms of cooperation that existed before February 2022,” the ministry further mentioned.
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