The key facts

  • Lavrov will not take part in the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Lugano on December 3–4, a source in Vienna told Interfax
  • Russia has said it will be represented at the event, but the delegation's composition has not been disclosed
  • Switzerland previously invited Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; the meeting will bring together representatives of 57 states

The minister will not go, but a delegation will be sent

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov does not plan to take part in the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting, which will be held on December 3–4 in Lugano, Switzerland. This was reported by a source in Vienna to Interfax: asked whether the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry would come, he answered briefly — 'No.' At the same time, according to the agency's source, Russia will be represented at the event. Who exactly will lead the Russian delegation instead of Lavrov is unknown; no official comments from the Russian Foreign Ministry on the delegation's composition have been received. Gazeta.Ru also reported on the minister's plans.

The invitation was personal

Switzerland sent the invitation to Lavrov personally: On November 2, the head of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Ignazio Cassis,who chairs the OSCE in 2026, said that Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also been invited. Representatives of all 57 participating states of the organization are expected in Lugano; one of the central topics will be security in Europe and the future role of the OSCE in international dialogue. Back in September, Lavrov discussed preparations for the December meeting with Cassis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York — at that time, according to Life.ru, he jokedthat his Swiss counterpart might be fired for taking a joint photo with him.

Context: skepticism about the future of the OSCE

The decision not to attend in person looks telling against the backdrop of Lavrov's position on the organization itself: earlier, according to Life.ru, he stated that he sees no way to bring the OSCE out of crisis in the foreseeable future, and described the platform as a place of mutual accusations. Nevertheless, in early November the minister did discuss the state of affairs in the OSCE with the organization's Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu on the sidelines of the IV Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security — that is, Russia continues its dialogue with the organization's leadership, but at the level of personal participation in the December summit it has chosen to reduce its representation. Who will represent the country in Lugano will become known later.