OSCE meeting in Malta

Lavrov wants to travel to the EU despite sanctions

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is planning to attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Malta in December. This would be the first time the Russian top diplomat has traveled to an EU country since the start of the war.

The Maltese embassy in Russia stated that the decision to hold the meeting of foreign ministers on the island also applies to Russia. The EU imposed sanctions against Lavrov and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in February 2022 due to the war against Ukraine.

The last time Lavrov was in an EU country was in Sweden in December 2021. When the OSCE met in Poland a year later, the government there refused the politician entry. However, the sanctions do not actually mean a ban on entry.

Schallenberg also expected
Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) is also planning to attend the meeting in Malta. 

Unlike several other European institutions, Russia has not withdrawn from the OSCE. Malta stepped in as chair at short notice last year after the Russian government prevented Estonia's candidacy by vetoing it for months.