Switzerland promises Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov unhindered travel to OSCE ministerial meeting

Khrystyna Bondarieva , Tetyana Oliynyk - 6 February, 20:03

Sergei Lavrov. Photo: Riza Ozel / dia images via Getty Images

Ignazio Cassis, Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Swiss Foreign Minister, has said after visiting Moscow that his country has guaranteed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov an unhindered visit to Lugano to participate in the OSCE ministerial meeting.

Source: Cassis at a press conference on Friday 6 February, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Cassis said that the participation of the Russian delegation, including Lavrov, in the OSCE Ministerial Council on 3-4 December in Lugano was discussed directly with Lavrov during their meeting in Moscow.

He added that the Russians "are ready to come to our discussions and even to the ministerial conference if we can guarantee, of course, the logistics and the security".

Quote: "I told him [Lavrov] that this is what Switzerland can [do] and we demonstrated that we already were able to welcome Madame Matviyenko, President of the Duma, in July last year without difficulties. And we can guarantee such venue from some such travel for Minister Lavrov to the ministerial conference in Lugano this year."

Background:

After visiting Kyiv and Moscow, Cassis reported that he had presented three groups of ideas on behalf of the OSCE in both capitals and is now awaiting a response.
OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu said after his visit to Moscow that he hopes to see results in the coming weeks regarding the release of three Ukrainian staff members of the organisation who were illegally detained by Russia in spring 2022.

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