Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's attendance has prompted several countries to boycott the European security summit, while others see it as a chance to voice opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Top diplomats from more than 50 countries are in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, on Thursday for a summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The meeting of the world's largest regional security group has been largely overshadowed by outrage over Russia's war in Ukraine and Moscow's participation in the event.
"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine flies in the face of all this organization holds dear," said Bujar Osmani, North Macedonia's foreign affairs minister and OSCE chairman in office, during opening remarks as the summit kicked off.
"The war undermines trust, dialogue, and our capacity to deliver," he added.
Lavrov's awkward presence
Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are not taking part in the OSCE meeting in protest of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's attendance.
"We just cannot ignore the fact that the Russian minister of foreign affairs will be present at the table of the organization that is supposed to build peace and security in Europe," Polish Foreign Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek told reporters on Wednesday.
Balkan countries have raised concerns that Lavrov would use the OSCE meeting as a platform to spread "Russian propaganda."
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters in Skopje as she arrived at the meeting that it was important to stand up against Russia's "imperial madness" at the summit.
Russia has accused Western countries of trying to block its officials from the meeting, saying that such attempts threaten "the very existence of the organization."
Moscow was also irked by a Bulgarian decision that prohibited Lavrov's plane from flying over its territory on route to Skopje. His spokesperson said on Thursday he was forced to take a longer route over Greece.
NATO member and current OSCE president North Macedonia had briefly suspended its ban on flights from Russia for Lavrov to fly in.
What is expected out of OSCE the summit?
Russia's war in Ukraine is likely to dominate the talks.
Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said he thought Lavrov's attendance would be a good opportunity for Moscow's top diplomat to hear from OSCE members "why Russia is being condemned and isolated."
The foreign ministers are also expected to ratify a ruling on the OSCE's rotating presidency during their two-day meeting.
NATO member Estonia had sought the role, but Russia and Belarus openly rejected it. Instead, and after months of negotiations, Malta agreed earlier this week to takeover the organization's presidency next year.
Source: Dw
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