On January 1, Malta takes over the one-year presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from North Macedonia.
The chairmanship will be performed by the head of diplomacy of Malta, Jan Borg.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, said on December 1, at the end of the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje, that the decision on Malta's chairmanship was made unanimously.
At the meeting in Skopje, all participating countries agreed that the OSCE must exist, but Western countries and Russia accused each other of wanting to destroy the organization.
In Skopje, Borg already emphasized Malta's readiness for the presidency.
"The unanimous decision of all 57 member states is testimony to our shared commitment to continue strengthening our organization and, despite all the challenges we currently face, ensure that this organization remains strong. The OSCE was created on shared principles and values. It is an inclusive platform for effective dialogue and we will make sure to strengthen it," said Borg.
The OSCE, whose headquarters are in Vienna, was founded in 1973 and is the largest intergovernmental security organization in the world with 57 member countries and 11 partner countries.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia James O'Brien, on the other hand, expressed in Skopje the expectation that Malta, as the next chairman, will do an excellent job in 2024 and sent a message to Russia, which has been blocking the work of the organization since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. .
"Now the choice is up to the countries that are trying to block the work of this organization to see if they are ready to stand with the civilized community... or if they want to continue with the obstructions. In any case, the OSCE will work. But it is up to them to choose whether they want to be with us in this," O'Brien said.
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