Russia and Switzerland to Discuss OSCE Crisis in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis are scheduled to hold talks in Moscow on February 6, the official representative of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, announced.

Cassis arrives in Russia in his capacity as the current Chairperson of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), a position he assumed on January 1.

The agenda will focus on "finding ways to overcome the current deep crisis within the OSCE," Zakharova said. The Russian side intends to discuss options for "restoring the normal functioning of the OSCE across three dimensions of security — military-political, economic-ecological, and humanitarian."

On February 2, Cassis visited Kyiv. According to the Swiss minister, the purpose of his trip was to reaffirm the OSCE's role as a platform for dialogue and to demonstrate readiness to support peace efforts based on international law.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Cassis outlined Switzerland's plans as OSCE Chair to play a mediating role in resolving tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Swissinfo reports. He noted that depending on the situation, he plans to visit Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington.

The Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, told RBC that the organization could be involved in conflict resolution or post-conflict development. At the same time, he noted that the OSCE had discredited itself during the implementation of the Minsk agreements and could not reliably monitor the ceasefire.