Read excerpts from the statement of Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich (meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, 12 January 2023)

On the presentation of priorities of the North Macedonian OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office

North Macedonian OSCE CiO must learn from the deplorable experience of the Polish predecessors who tried to impose unilateral Russophobic approaches on the Organization

There is a need to understand the root causes of the current crisis provoked by the attempts of a number of states, primarily NATO members, to strengthen their own security at the expense of the security of others

The readiness of the North Macedonian team to act as an impartial and transparent “manager” will determine the prospects for restoring confidence and maintaining the manageability of the OSCE, as well as its future

Taking into account the entire range of opinions of the participating States, strict observance of the Rules of Procedure, respect for the consensus nature of decisions made is not a whim, but a condition for the survival of our Organization

We warn against intentions to subordinate all the work of the OSCE to the promotion of the approaches of a number of Western countries in relation to the situation in Ukraine and around it to the detriment of other areas of OSCE’s work

Russia will continue to actively defend itself against the diverse hybrid aggression by a number of NATO member countries led by the United States and Great Britain against the very foundations of Russian statehood and sovereignty

We hope that OSCE will thoughtfully and with due attention to the interests of all parties deal with the settlement of regional crisis situations in its area of ​​responsibility

It is necessary to return the traditionally high, but now significantly sagging profile of the OSCE in the field of countering transnational challenges and threats, with an emphasis on issues that pose a direct threat to the life and health of citizens

We expect active efforts by Skopje to resume full-fledged OSCE work in the economic and environmental dimension. We presume that the theme of 31st Economic and Environmental Forum will be constructive, aimed at reviving the unifying potential of the second "basket"

Against the backdrop of the failure of last year, we call on North Macedonia to take the most responsible approach to building the work of the OSCE in the human dimension in 2023

It is extremely important to start agreeing on the "package" of OSCE human dimension events for 2023 in a timely manner.  There is also an acute question of their transfer to countries that respect different points of view and honor diplomatic ethics