November 01, 2024 08:51 GMT
EU-RUSSIA: Kremlin Confirms Lavrov Malta Trip In Dec, 1st To EU Since Invasion
EU-RUSSIA
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Russian media reports that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov intends to travel to Malta from 5-6 Dec for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s Council of Foreign Ministers meeting. This would be Lavrov's first visit to the EU since the launching of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Feb 2022. The Russian foreign minister is subject to EU sanctions, but unlike other senior Russian officials has not been subjected to a travel ban, with Brussels still allowing for the potential of talks to take place.
- The Maltese Embassy in Moscow stated that the OSCE Council meeting on the island “applies to all members, including the Russian Federation", but that invites have not yet been distributed.
- Should Malta invite Lavrov it risks a notable regional backlash. For the 2023 OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers' meeting Lavrov travelled to North Macedonia. This led to a boycott from Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The response against Malta could be even more severe given that it is an EU member state.
- Lavrov was barred from attending the 2022 OSCE ministerial in Poland.
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