Washington, 27 November 2023 (MIA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leading the US delegation at the OSCE Ministerial Council that will take place on November 29 and 30 in Skopje to discuss together with OSCE colleagues the support for Ukraine. However, it is not clear whether he will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov there, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said, MIA’s Washington correspondent said.

“On the OSCE, Secretary Blinken is leading our delegation. He’ll be there at the – Wednesday right after the end of NATO ministerial. So we anticipate that he’ll engage in a good discussion with our OSCE colleagues about support for Ukraine,” O'Brien said.

In regard to the situation in Kosovo and Serbia, he said “We support having a robust KFOR presence in northern Kosovo. I think having the north be secure and quiet is the key to making political progress on the roadmap and on the two countries’ paths toward Europe. So it’s important that both sides understand that if there is any disturbance in the north that it comes at the cost of them running them up against NATO.”

In regard to the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, he said it has three formal sessions, one of them on the Washington summit, which will take place next July. That is the 75th anniversary of the Alliance, and provides an opportunity to speak about the future of the Alliance. Another session we’ll discuss the Western Balkans, and the third session we’ll discuss Ukraine.

“The Western Balkans is an opportunity to reaffirm the Alliance’s commitment. As you know, NATO provides critical security support in northern Kosovo and support for the EU force in Bosnia. It has long stood as the kind of backbone of the security that is necessary for the states of the Western Balkans as they move on their European pathway. So their ministers will have an opportunity to note the recent steps on EU enlargement and the growth plan for the region. They’ll also be able to discuss the role that security plays in creating space for the states of the Western Balkans to make their own decisions about how quickly they want to move forward,” O'Brien told a press briefing.