VIENNA, November 2. /TASS/. The Maltese presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has sent invitations to delegations from all member states for the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled for December in Valletta, a representative of the service said. press release of the Maltese presidency. he told TASS.

“Invitations have been sent to all members of the organization. Delegations are receiving updated information on the preparations (for the event),” the spokesperson said.

The meeting will focus on “security challenges and the organization’s role in addressing them,” according to the agency source. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova previously told TASS that Malta, as OSCE chair, should ensure equal participation of all delegations during the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled for December.

On September 28, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS that Russia plans to participate in the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting to be held in Malta on December 5-6.

In 2022, Poland, which then held the OSCE presidency, denied the Russian delegation led by Lavrov to participate in the Ministerial Council meeting in Lodz. The Russian Foreign Ministry characterized Warsaw’s actions as unprecedented, provocative and incompatible with Poland’s role as president of the organization. In 2023, the North Macedonian government decided to allow Lavrov’s plane to fly over its airspace to attend the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Skopje.