OSCE Chairman called on russia to stop war against Ukraine

The current OSCE Chairman, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, called on russia to stop the war against Ukraine and withdraw its troops from its territory.

Osmani said this on Monday during a joint press conference with the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, in Kyiv, Ukrinform reports.

"I am here now as the head of the OSCE and call on the russian federation to stop this war, to withdraw its forces and troops from Ukraine, and to show commitment to the values and principles of the OSCE and return to the diplomatic path," he said.

The current head of the OSCE emphasized the complete condemnation of the russian federation's further aggression against Ukraine, including the recent missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro.

"I would like to emphasize that we completely condemn further russian aggression against Ukraine. In Dnipro, we saw a deliberate attack against civilians over the weekend. And there can be no justification for this. It causes great sadness, and we cannot put up with it," Osmani said.

He also noted that "Ukrainians show remarkable courage, and this causes admiration and respect everywhere."

Osmani once again confirmed that Ukraine would remain the main priority of North Macedonia's chairmanship of the OSCE:

"We will firmly support Ukraine and will not deviate from this path. We will not accept what is happening. Instead, we will use the entire toolkit of the OSCE to restore peace and respect for our principles and commitments."

He emphasized the need to achieve stable peace with respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders.

Osmani also expressed hope that russian troops will leave Ukraine this year and the OSCE will be able to provide Ukraine with all possible support for reconstruction.

As reported, the current head of the OSCE, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, arrived on Monday for a visit to Ukraine. This is the first official visit of Minister Osmani as the current Chairman of the OSCE.