Poland’s foreign minister has opted out of an upcoming Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) session in protest of the attendance of Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister.
The OSCE’s Ministerial Council is slated to convene in Skopje, North Macedonia, for two days starting Thursday.
Szymon Szynkowski vel Sek, Poland’s recently appointed foreign minister, announced at a press conference his refusal to participate, citing Lavrov’s presence. He criticized Russia as an aggressor nation responsible for war crimes and expressed disapproval of its foreign minister’s involvement in discussions focused on fostering peace and security.
Szynkowski vel Sek stressed that allowing Lavrov equal participation rights as other members was unacceptable to Poland, declaring that no other representatives from Poland’s Foreign Ministry would partake.
He highlighted that the Baltic states had taken a similar stance, stating, “We concur with this standpoint; we firmly believe that having the Russian foreign minister at the table of an organization dedicated to promoting peace and security in Europe cannot be condoned.”
Additionally, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine have announced their decision to boycott the Skopje meeting.