NATO member North Macedonia has lifted a ban on flights from Russia, allowing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to attend an international conference in the country if he accepts the invitation. The window will apply from November 29 to December 1, when North Macedonia hosts a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje. Russia is one of the 57 members of the OSCE, established during the Cold War to ease East-West tensions.
Most European countries banned flights from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is unclear whether Lavrov would accept the invitation, and if so, North Macedonia’s foreign and defence ministries would need to issue additional permits for the visit. The brief flight ban suspension is not unprecedented, especially when it comes to international conferences.
To reach the small, landlocked Balkan country, the Russian delegation would have to fly through the airspace of other NATO or European Union members, which in turn would need to grant special permission. Lavrov has not visited any European countries since the war in Ukraine started.
North Macedonia’s NATO accession amplified Russia’s strategic concerns, adding to its apprehensions about NATO’s eastward expansion. As part of a broader pattern, Russia perceives NATO’s increased presence in the Balkans as a challenge to its influence in the region. This development contributed to geopolitical tensions between Russia and NATO. The economic and energy dimension further complicates the picture. Russia, with significant economic interests in the Balkans, faces challenges as NATO members are diversifying their energy sources, reducing dependence on Russian supplies. While North Macedonia’s NATO accession may be a relatively minor development in isolation, Russia’s response is embedded in the broader context of its relations with NATO and its regional influence. This dynamic interaction continues to shape geopolitical calculations and the evolving strategic landscape in Southeast Europe.
