Sergei Lavrov is coming to the EU in December, for the first time since 2022

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to visit Malta in December to participate in a meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Vedomosti newspaper reported on Friday, citing Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

It will be Lavrov’s first visit to any country of the European Union since Russia sent tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine in February 2022.

The Embassy of Malta in Russia confirmed for Vedomosti that the decision to hold a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on the island on December 5 and 6 “applies to all members, including the Russian Federation”.

“The OSCE delegations are regularly informed about the progress of preparations. Further practical details, including invitations, will be sent to all OSCE delegations in due course,” the embassy said.