Some OSCE States Greatly Politicizing National Minority Matters - Lavrov

Some OSCE States Greatly Politicizing National Minority Matters - Lavrov

The issue of ensuring the rights of national minorities in a number of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) states is being treated in a highly politicized way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday during a meeting with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier in Moscow.

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2018) The issue of ensuring the rights of national minorities in a number of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) states is being treated in a highly politicized way, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday during a meeting with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier in Moscow.

"Issues related to national minorities are subjected to a very high level of politicization. A number of OSCE member states are treating the issue of ensuring the rights of national minorities based on their political preferences and not on the basis of the objective rights," Lavrov said.

Lavrov also expressed confidence that Zannier's "wide experience and political wisdom" would make his mission a success.

The minister, in particular, expressed hope that Moscow and OSCE institutions would continue to cooperate in order the ensure the rights of national minorities.

Moscow has recently been particularly concerned over the issue of Russian speaking minorities in Ukraine and Latvia as both of these countries introduced laws, limiting or banning the use of minority languages for instruction. Russian authorities called the move discriminatory.