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Russian senator reveals how to settle differences over OSCE presidency

According to Vladimir Chizhov, Kazakhstan can be a compromise option for all OSCE participants

© Mikhail Pochuev/TASS

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Differences between the member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) can be settled by mans of replacing Estonia as the OSCE President in 2024 by some other country, a Russian senator told TASS on Thursday.

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said earlier that he was afraid that the OSCE could break up because of Russia and Belarus’ unwillingness to approve Estonia as its president in 2024.

"There are different options (to resolve this problem - TASS). I don’t think that the mandate of the current, not the strongest, frankly speaking, president - North Macedonia - would be extended for a year. It is possible that Finland would be asked to take over president in 2024 instead of 2025. There are different options. But a compromise between all the 57 OSCE member nations is needed. All OSCE decisions are made solely by a consensus, and this is why this organization is lauded," said Vladimir Chizhov, first deputy chairman of the defense and security committee of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) and Russia’s former Permanent Representative to the EU (2005-2022).

"Probably, it is somewhat early to say that it is time to ‘order wreaths’ to the OSCE but it is high time to show concern over the fate of this organization," he added.

According to Chizhov, Kazakhstan could be a compromise variant for all the OSCE members. "Kazakhstan hosted an OSCE summit in Astana in 2010. I should say that it was successful. It is another thing that those who support Estonia might not agree on Kazakhstan," he noted.

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