Vienna: The candidacy of the Republic of Cyprus for the Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2027 remains on the table, despite a specific country blocking it, Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Thursday. He made this statement on the sidelines of the General Debate at the OSCE Ministerial Meeting, which is taking place at the Organisation’s headquarters in Vienna on 4-5 December 2025.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release that in his intervention, Kombos expressed gratitude to the Finnish Chairmanship for its work during 2025 and extended a welcome to Switzerland, which will take over the Chairmanship of the Organisation in 2026. He addressed the main challenges facing the Organisation and emphasized the necessity for effective management, guided by the Helsinki Principles adopted 50 years ago, which remain relevant today.
The Minister reiterated Cyprus’s candidacy for the OSCE Chairmanship for 2027. He confirmed that Cyprus officially reaffirms its candidacy, placing it before the OSCE participating States, as a solution to the ongoing issue arising from the absence of a decision on the Presidencies from 2026 onwards.
In a post on the X platform, Kombos revealed that a specific OSCE member state has blocked Cyprus’s candidacy, lamenting that ‘we would have had a positive outcome last night, and we are not there yet.’ He noted the frustration around this outcome but reaffirmed that ‘our candidacy remains open and on the table,’ anticipating more intense consultations and deliberations leading to a positive resolution.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting, Kombos engaged in separate meetings and discussions with various international representatives, including the High Representative for External Relations of the European Union (EU), and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Finland, Ukraine, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Andorra, Serbia, Azerbaijan, as well as the Minister for Europe of the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, the Minister participated as a speaker at an event focused on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in the OSCE region, as noted in the Ministry press release.