Turkish top diplomat attends OSCE summit amid growing conflicts

VALETTA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended the OSCE summit in Malta where growing security issues in Europe and the Middle East were the focal point of the 57-nation security and cooperation organization.

The ministerial council of the OSCE was launched in Valetta on Dec. 5, with the participation of dozens of foreign ministers, including the United States, Türkiye, Russia and others.

Fidan represented Türkiye at the meeting and delivered a speech on the first day of the summit, according to the Turkish sources.

Ankara underlines the importance of the OSCE as the most inclusive platform for security and cooperation on the European continent and that its crucial role as the inseparable part of the European security architecture should endure.

In his address, Fidan is scheduled to highlight Türkiye’s commitment to the protection of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty while underscoring the importance of launching diplomatic efforts for a fair and lasting solution to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

He is also expected to draw attention to the ongoing escalation in the Middle East and issue a call to the international community for reinstating peace and stability in the region.

The summit will also discuss the new management brass of the OSCE. Türkiye and Greece, in a joint initiative, support each other’s candidates for the two top positions. A former Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioğlu applied to become the next Secretary General while Greece’s legal advisor of the Foreign Ministry, Maria Telalian for the Office of the Democratic İnstitutions and Human Rights.

There are reports that the OSCE Permanent Council has advised the OSCE ministerial council to endorse the bids of Sinirlioğlu and Telalian. The OSCE is expected to announce its final decision on Dec. 6 through the Joint Declaration.