SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Top diplomats from more than 50 countries were arriving in North Macedonia on Wednesday while others boycotted the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had said they would not attend the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe talks due to Lavrov’s participation during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a brief stop in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, for the meeting but was to leave for Israel hours later. He was not expected to encounter Lavrov, who was due in Skopje late Wednesday.
Blinken accused Russia of “flagrant violations of every single core principle” of Cold War efforts to ease East-West tensions that led to the creation of the OSCE, and “relentless efforts to obstruct the OSCE’s work.”
Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels earlier Wednesday, Blinken added that the other OSCE members “are showing determination to make sure the organization continues to fulfil its purpose to advance European security.”
North Macedonia, a NATO…
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