The result of a unanimous decision with a vote of all 57 participating countries was announced on Friday, December 1, by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani at the closing of the 30th meeting of the Ministerial Council in Skopje.
He also announced the extension of the terms of office of OSCE Secretary General Schmid, Representative on Freedom of the Media Ribeiro and High Commissioner on National Minorities Abdrakhmanov, as well as the appointment of the Director of the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Mecacci until September 3, 2024.
“Our ability to come together now and achieve consensus among all 57 participating states once again shows the importance and effectiveness of reaching an agreement through negotiation and compromise for the sake of our common goals and objectives,” Osmani said.
In his opinion, despite the disagreements, the OSCE “has demonstrated the strategic vision necessary to continue our constructive efforts to realize and apply the OSCE’s competitive advantages through the work of its executive structures for the benefit of all our people.”
Malta’s term as OSCE Chairman-in-Office will begin on 1 January 2024.
Russia’s blocking of the appointment of the OSCE head of state for 2024
Let us recall that earlier in November, the Russian Federation, together with Belarus, vetoed the approval of Estonia as the next head of the OSCE in 2024. The role of chairman was then offered to Malta, which remains neutral regarding the war in Ukraine, although it condemned Russian aggression and joined European sanctions.
In addition, Russia continues to veto the organization’s decision, blocking its normal work.
Later, at the OSCE meeting in Vienna, the Russian Federation also blocked the appointment of Malta as head of the organization in 2024.
2023-12-01 20:41:41
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