As summit draws to a close, Borg says OSCE remains 'cornerstone of multilateralism'

OSCE chair-in-office Ian Borg defended the decision to invite Russia to the organisation’s council summit in Malta, saying it is important to engage with those who can stop war immediately.

Speaking at the closing press conference, Borg said there are plenty of organisations like the OSCE where Russia is not a member state.

“I’d rather have the participating states sat at the same table as Russia telling them to stop this war and retract from Ukrainian territory,” he said.

He said it’s easy to discuss and agree among friends and allies, but against the backdrop of war, it is more challenging “to engage with those who started and can stop this war immediately”.

Borg said Malta has full faith in the OSCE and its role in promoting peace, security and dialogue even against the backdrop of war. “Even in adversity, this organisation remains a cornerstone of multilateralism,” he said.

He said this is why Malta rose to the occasion when it was asked to assume the chairpersonship of the OSCE for 2024 with just a couple of weeks’ notice.

“Taking on this chairpersonship was an unprecedented challenge. Yet it reinforced a simple truth. When multilateralism is at stake, engagement is the only way to get things done.

He admitted that achieving a consensus among all participating states is not an easy task, especially in times of division. “This is not about convenience but necessity. It is often far more important to engage with those who disagree with us. This is the very essence of the OSCE.”

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One of the consensus decisions reached during the council summit in Malta was the appointment of four head positions in the OSCE, including that of the secretary-general.

Feridun Sinirlioğlu, from Turkey, was appointed OSCE secretary-general. Maria Telalian from Greece was appointed director of the ODIHR and Christophe Kamp from the Netherlands is the new OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Jan Braathu, from Norway, will be the new OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

During the closing conference, Sinirlioğlu said the role is an honour and responsibility. He said he will work closely with the chair-in-office and pledged to do everything possible to secure the release of three OSCE officials detained in Russia.

A more resilient organisation

Borg said Malta is leaving the OSCE more resilient than it found it when it first assumed the chairpersonship.

Despite not achieving concensus on the organisation’s budget for 2024, Borg said the door is open for more possible decisions to take place before the end of year.

Vesa Häkkinen, the Finnish ambassador to the OSCE who is next in line to assume the chairpersonship of the organisation, praised Malta for navigating the chairpersonship with exceptional skill during the closing plenary of the summit.

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He said the concensus was reached with help of Malta’s leadership, and Finland will leave no stone unturned in getting a budget approved for the coming year.

Military neutrality still relevant today

Borg said hosting the OSCE was a unique opportunity for Malta to show that a small country can still offer something to achieve peace and stability in global politics. “The fact that Malta is neutral militarily, in this circumstance, showed how relevant it still is and that it can be trusted by everyone to move forward.”

He said one of the key concerns was that the OSCE would “die in Malta’s lap”, leaving the country open to criticism.

“Instead, we’re giving the OSCE new tools. We won’t give up on the budget, and Finland will continue to do a good job […] The legacy that Malta is leaving is clear,” he said.