57 delegations from across the globe convene in Malta for OSCE meeting

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) meeting in Malta starts on Thursday, as foreign ministers from around the world convene to the high level meeting.

The OSCE meeting will last until Friday 6 December. The OSCE Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE, convened once a year in the country holding the chairmanship.

On Thursday and Friday, Malta will welcome more than 800 delegates from the 57 participating states of the OSCE, including foreign ministers, ambassadors, and other diplomats, as well as international journalists, for the 31st Ministerial Council of this organisation, to discuss important regional security challenges, as well as pressing organisational decisions.

The meeting comes amid new developments in the Ukraine-Russia war, rising tensions in Israel and Gaza, as well as increased international concern over developments in South Korea.

Notably, the meeting will be Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s first visit to Europe since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also in Malta for the high level meeting.

Although the EU imposed sanctions on Lavrov due to his involvement in the war, it has not enforced a travel ban, signaling a continued interest in maintaining diplomatic channels with Moscow’s top diplomat.

On Thursday, the OSCE’s opening plenary session will take place in the MFCC in Ta’ Qali.

Throughout the day, two side events are also planned, with one focusing on gender and security, while the other will discuss media freedom.

The closing plenary session will be held on Friday afternoon, while Deputy Prime Minister and OSCE Chair Ian Borg will address a final press conference.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ian Borg was formally appointed chairman-in-office of the OSCE in December 2023.

In April, Borg has vowed to keep the Russia-Ukraine war at the top of the OSCE agenda during a briefing at the UN Security Council in New York.

In his briefing, Borg said Malta will hold a “consistent and principled position” as chairperson of the OSCE and will use the organisation as a platform for accountability when its principles are breached.

The OSCE meeting has led to heightened security across the country, with a number of businesses and schools forced to shut down on Thursday and Friday.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and Libya during a meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister in Castille.

Abela emphasised the need for dialogue and cooperation in addressing ongoing conflicts.