OSCE ministerial meeting concludes today

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) ministerial meeting in Malta concludes on Friday.

The OSCE Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the OSCE, convened once a year in the country holding the chairmanship.

More than 800 delegates from the 57 participating states of the OSCE, including foreign ministers, ambassadors, and other diplomats, as well as international journalists are in Malta for the ministerial council.

The meeting comes amid new developments in the Ukraine-Russia war, rising tensions in Israel and Gaza, as well as increased international concern over developments in South Korea.

Thursday saw both American and Russian delegations issue strong statements during their speeches.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered slammed the West whilst addressing the opening of the OSCE conference.

Lavrov claimed that Ukraine's goal is to “keep Russia down and inflict defeat on it on the battlefield,” remarking that there is no area within the OSCE where it can contribute meaningfully, claiming that mutually respectful dialogue has been killed within the 57-nation organisation.

Lavrov stated that the West's anti-tank weapons and barbed wire to Ukraine represents a “reincarnation of the Cold War”, now with a higher risk of escalating into a hot conflict.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a scathing critique of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his OSCE council speech, accusing him of undermining international law and Ukraine's sovereignty.

Blinken lambasted Putin’s “imperial project” aimed at erasing Ukraine from the map, highlighting a series of statements from the Russian leader that deny Ukraine’s legitimacy as an independent nation.

On Friday the closing plenary session will be held, with Foreign Minister Ian Borg addressing the final press conference at around 1pm.