VIENNA (Reuters) – According to officials, the 57 member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have agreed that Malta should assume the organization’s rotating chairmanship after Russia prevented Estonia from taking on the role.
The foreign ministers of OSCE countries are set to meet in Skopje, North Macedonia, on Thursday and Friday to discuss the chair role and to renew the terms of four senior OSCE officials based in Vienna.
“Breaking news from Vienna! Huge decisions opening the path towards consensus on #OSCE2024 chair to be confirmed on #MC30 in #Skopje. Thank you #Malta for your willingness to take on this vital role,” North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. His country currently holds the chairmanship.
The OSCE, described by Western countries as a crucial forum for engagement between former Cold War adversaries the United States and Russia, includes members such as Canada, Central Asia, the entire European Union, Britain, Ukraine, and Belarus.
In the past few years, particularly since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has effectively used its veto power within the OSCE by blocking decisions made by consensus. This has led to a situation where one country can prevent a consensus from being reached.
After months of objections from Russia, a replacement for the annually rotating chairmanship was sought when Estonia, a NATO member, was originally scheduled to take over the position. Eventually, the small, neutral European Union member state of Malta was chosen as an acceptable compromise.
One senior Western diplomat said, “The deal brings with it the guarantee of another year of functionality and a legitimate chair.”
Russia and its ally Belarus have not yet supported the renewal of the terms of four senior OSCE officials, including veteran German diplomat Helga Schmid as Secretary-General. With the four officials’ terms expiring on December 4 and no alternatives presented, the situation remains unresolved.
“We do care about the top four but the chair is existential – the organization cannot operate without it,” the Western diplomat said.
The gridlock at the OSCE to some extent reflects the broader confrontation between Moscow and Washington and their allies since the war began.
Only Belarus consistently aligns with Moscow’s positions at the OSCE.
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
