Ukraine hosts session of P arliamentary Assembly OSCE
The 16th annual Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was called to order in Kyiv on July 5. This forum, a first-time event in Ukraine’s capital, lasted until July 9 and was attended by MPs from 56 OSCE member countries. The participation of the Russian Federation’s delegation was in question for some time, but Goran Lennmarker, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, confirmed its presence during the session. For reasons left unexplained, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Moldova, and Montenegro refused to attend.
The session was formally invited to Ukraine by the Verkhovna Rada, but Oleksandr Chaly, deputy head of the Presidential Secretariat, noted that the holding of this session in Kyiv does not attest to the legitimacy of the Ukrainian parliament, which was dissolved by President Viktor Yushchenko on April 2. He added that all the members of the VR delegation to the OSCE retain their authority for six months after new members of parliament are elected.
Experts predicted that Ukraine’s political crisis would be among the main items on the meeting’s agenda, although Lennmarker stressed that the assembly would not discuss the political situation in any given country, and that Ukrainians must resolve their problems by themselves.
The Parliamentary Assembly OSCE, founded in 1991, is convened every February for the winter session and every July for the annual one. These sessions produce final declarations, numerous resolutions, and recommendations.
Before calling this year’s session to order, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE noted that the Ukrainian side had provided excellent conditions for the session and said he was sure it would be a success.
Among the items on the agenda were: energy security, the situation with Belarus (opposition leaders were invited to take part in the debate), human rights, and other topics. Part of the meeting was devoted to so-called frozen conflicts. In addition to sessions, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE holds conferences and seminars on the development and strengthening of democracy through interparliamentary cooperation.
