Ukraine Will Be a Priority of the Macedonian Presidency of OSCE

The aggression must stop. The killings and devastation of civilian population are unacceptable, reckoned the Minister of External Affairs, Bujar Osmani, on the first press-conference of the Macedonian Annual Presidency of the OSCE

Today, under the slogan “It’s about People”, North Macedonia officially presented its priorities for the OSCE Annual Presidency on its first press-conference. The Minister of External Affairs, Bujar Osmani, announced that the Ukrainian on-goings as well as other protracted conflicts will be the main issues on the Agenda during the Macedonian Presidency of the biggest global Regional Security Organization.

The Presidency stressed that the Russian military aggression on Ukraine was an incentive for strengthening OSCE’s efforts.

The greatest challenge for the implementation of our Agenda will be in context of the difficult circumstances. That said however, unity of the principles and commitments of OSCE is the source of hope and encouragement. The Russian military aggression on Ukraine is not only violating the fundamentals and commitments of the Organization but also strengthening this unity. Today – it seems that – our values are more important than ever. The current challenges are no reason for defeatism. On the contrary, they inspire strengthened efforts and engagement, stated Osmani.

The aggression, said Osmani, must stop. The killings and devastation of civilian population are unacceptable, he reckoned and added that the ramifications and the price of this war are unfortunate and unbearable for the whole OSCE region.

He pointed out that other crisis areas in the OSCE region also exist, and that the regional instability as well as the potential for new conflicts will demand continuous attention. The Organization, stressed the Minister, should be capable of securing support for the vulnerable regions and remain flexible in managing challenges.

Although Ukraine will remain top priority, we must put high on the agenda the other protracted conflicts as well. OSCE will be relevant as always with its unique utility available to all Member-States. We saw that potential in the past. We should make room for achieving its full potential in the future, he said.

The Secretary General of the OSCE, Helga Maria Schmid said that many challenges for the Member-States were ahead. She said that the war in Ukraine remains the key priority, but also the frequent “ever-growing tensions and challenges for the democratic values”.

This article has been produced within the project Fact-Checking the Progress of North Macedonia towards the EU, implemented by the Metamorphosis Foundation. The article, originally published by Truthmeter,, is made possible by the support of the American non-profit foundation NED (National Endowment for Democracy). The content of this article is the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Metamorphosis, NED or their partners.

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