POLITICS
OSCE PA`s WINTER MEETING KICKS OFF IN VIENNA
Vienna, February 18 (AZERTAC). The ninth Winter Meeting of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has today started in Vienna, Austria, bringing together 250 OSCE parliamentarians from 53 participating States and three Mediterranean Partners.
Speakers at the meeting included OSCE PA President Joao Soares, the President of the Austrian Nationalrat Barbara Prammer, and the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev.
Strengthening co-operation with OSCE parliamentarians is an important component in tackling regional challenges such as protracted conflicts and the European arms control regime, said Kanat Saudabayev.
Speaking at the start of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Winter Meeting, Saudabayev said parliamentarians played a valuable part in the dialogue between participating States, and noted that Kazakhstan would host a key parliamentary forum on the OSCE and Eurasia in Almaty in May.
He also emphasized their role in election monitoring - most recently in Ukraine - as well as in efforts towards resolution of protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus and with the Transdniestrian settlement process.
Situation in Afghanistan will be the dominant theme of the tomorrow discussions.
Deputy chair of the Azerbaijan Parliament Bahar Muradova is attending the event.