VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg defended the decision to invite Russia to the OSCE’s council summit in Malta, saying it is important to engage with those who can stop war immediately.
Speaking at the closing press conference, Borg declared: “I’d rather have the participating states sat at the same table as Russia telling them to stop this war and retract from Ukrainian territory,” he said. He added it is more challenging “to engage with those who started and can stop this war immediately”.
Ian Borg has dismissed a tirade of anti-Western sentiment from Russiàs foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the opening of today’s OSCE conference, insisting the group would “not be intimidated” by Russia.
Borg also announced that a unanimous agreement has been reached at the OSCE Ministerial Council, after discussions between the 57 OSCE countries had been ongoing for years.
The agreement was reached on a new leadership covering the OSCE’s top four posts. The announcement came on the second and final day of the organisation’s annual ministerial council meeting being held in Malta.
Feridun Sinirlioglu from Turkey was announced as OSCE Secretary General while Maria Telalian of Greece was named as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Christophe Kamp of Netherlands, meanwhile, took the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities and Norwegian Jan Braathu was appointed Representative on Freedom of the Media. The announcement has come as a relief to the OSCE, which had been stuck in negotiations on the top leadership positions for months.
Speaking at a news conference, Sinirlioglu said: “I take this with a deep sense of pride and duty… I know it will not be easy, there are challenges facing the OSCE region, not least in Ukraine. My role will enable me to act as a bridge between participating states for consensus and solutions”, he said.
The OSCE Ministerial Council welcomed delegates from 57 member states, and is likely to be the last large event of the organisation hosted by Malta, the current chair of the organisation.
– Photo Department of Information Malta –
(ITALPRESS).
