Valletta, 5 December 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday is set take part in talks with foreign ministers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), held in Malta.

The trip is his first to an EU country since the beginning of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is also expected to attend the two-day conference.

The OSCE is one of the few dialogue forums for security and democracy where Western representatives engage directly with Russia.

While Moscow has withdrawn from several other European institutions, it has remained in the OSCE, seeing it as a platform for communicating its position on the war in Ukraine, which Russia launched in February 2022.

Malta on Wednesday cancelled the visa of Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who was also scheduled to attend the meeting, citing a travel ban against her.

"While Foreign Minister Lavrov is subject to EU sanctions, there is no travel ban against him. However, Ms Zakharova, his spokesperson, is under a travel ban," the Maltese Foreign Ministry said.

Malta had earlier made an exception to the travel ban for the OSCE conference, in accordance with its rights as the meeting's chair.

However, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania objected to the exception because of Russia's blockade of Estonia taking over the OSCE chairmanship last year, according to diplomatic sources.

EU countries are entitled under EU law to object to other member states issuing visas.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the cancellation of Zakharova's visa "unprecedented."

The OSCE comprises 57 states and aims to promote security and stability through dialogue and cooperation.

Currently, the OSCE is without leadership as German diplomat Helga Schmid ended her term as secretary general in September.

Member states have yet to agree on a successor, but it is expected that the top position will be filled at the meeting.

Lavrov was last in an EU country in December 2021, also at an OSCE meeting.

Photo: EPA