Top diplomats meet in North Macedonia for OSCE but some boycott Lavrov’s expected attendance

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Top diplomats from more than 50 countries are arriving in North Macedonia while others are boycotting the expected presence of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have said they would not attend the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe talks due to Lavrov’s participation during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a brief stop in North Macedonia’s capital for the meeting but was to leave for Israel hours later. He was not expected to encounter Lavrov, who was due in Skopje late Wednesday.