Malta takes over OSCE Chair, assuring 'Ukraine will remain a priority'
Photo: OSCE Chairperson and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta Ian Borg (flickr.com/eu2017ee)
Malta assumed the position of the current chair of the OSCE on Monday, January 1. Valletta will focus on strengthening the stability and effectiveness of the organization, according to the OSCE press service.
"While it is a great honour to assume the Chairpersonship of the OSCE in 2024, it is also with a deep sense of responsibility and duty that Malta has taken on this role," said Ian Borg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta and the new OSCE Chairperson-in-Office.
He emphasized that the decision to appoint Malta as chair this year demonstrated the collective desire to save the OSCE.
"The OSCE continues to have a crucial role to play as a unique security organization and a platform for dialogue. Malta, as Chairperson-in-Office, will continue to work on safeguarding and upholding the fundamental principles and commitments enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris," confirmed Borg.
The current head of the OSCE stressed that Malta will build on the work of previous chairmanships, supporting the resolution of ongoing conflicts in the OSCE region, placing human rights and the security of people at the center of its efforts, and supporting the OSCE's on-the-ground presence.
"Throughout the Chairpersonship, Ukraine will remain a priority. Malta will continue to emphasize the need to end Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine while seeking solutions to assist Ukraine and its people," the minister emphasized.
It is worth noting that on December 2, Malta was elected by the participating countries of the organization to chair the OSCE in Europe in 2024. The elections took place against the backdrop of Russia's obstruction of the work of the OSCE, which opposed Estonia's chairmanship.
