Lavrov criticized Malta for revoking Zakharova's visa

The revocation of the Maltese visa of Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is an abuse of the country's functions as chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on December 5.

"Of recent examples, the outrageous mockery by the Danish Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Cooperation of the universally agreed rules of procedure. In the same row is the desecration of the functions of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office when at the last moment a visa was canceled for an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry to participate in today's meeting," he said during a speech at the OSCE Ministerial Council.

According to Lavrov's assessment, there are currently no areas where the organization could play a useful role within the framework of its tasks. In particular, he pointed out that all OSCE institutions "keep a sepulchral silence" looking at the Kiev regime's actions.

Lavrov arrived in Malta to attend the OSCE Ministerial Council earlier in the day. He will meet with the foreign ministers of several countries on the platform. At the same time, the Russian side intends to draw special attention to the non-issuance of visas to representatives of Moscow.

It became known the day before that Zakharova's Maltese visa for the OSCE was canceled. The organizers linked the decision to "circumstances beyond their control". The Foreign Ministry called it an unprecedented case, since the visa issued to the diplomat was canceled before the departure of the Russian delegation.

The Foreign Ministry said Russia plans to take part in an OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Malta in early October. In November, it was reported that Poland and its partners could not agree on their reaction to Lavrov's participation in the meeting.