Russian Delegation Urges OSCE PA to Convene Contact Group on Ukraine

The head of Russian delegation to OSCE PA Sergei Naryshkin urged the Assembly to focus on resolving the Ukrainian crisis through negotiations and immediately convene an inter-parliamentary contact group on Ukraine.

ULAANBAATAR (Sputnik) — Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin on Wednesday called on the participants of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) to focus on resolving the Ukrainian crisis through negotiations and immediately convene an inter-parliamentary contact group on Ukraine.

"I urge the members of the Assembly to focus on the following specific tasks in ensuring security. Firstly, on the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis through negotiations and the immediate convocation of our inter-parliamentary group," the head of Russian delegation to OSCE PA said. "I believe that with the necessary attention being paid to this issue [Ukrainian crises] by the majority of the members of this assembly, we could reach results and it would be appropriate to work within the parliamentary Normandy format."

The decision to establish an inter-parliamentary contact group on Ukraine was adopted at the OSCE PA session in June 2014 in Baku, on the initiative of Naryshkin. The group still did not start to work, as the Ukrainian delegation ignored the OSCE PA decision.

Naryshkin has also thanked the leadership of Mongolia for promoting inter-parliamentary dialogue, for which no obstacles should exist, at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA).

Nearly 200 parliamentarians from 57 countries gathered in the Mongolian capital on September 16-18 for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 2015 Autumn Meeting.

"The leadership of Mongolia understands that there should be no obstacles and barriers in the inter-parliamentary dialogue. And with that understanding and awareness of these important principles, Mongolia has confirmed being the country which has advanced much further in developing itself as a democratic state, and a state with the rule of law, than many countries of old Europe," the head of Russian delegation to OSCE PA said.

In July, Finland denied entry visas to several Russian lawmakers, including Naryshkin, who were invited to participate in a previous session of the OSCE PA being held in the country. After that the Russian delegation decided to refrain from participating in the summer session of the OSCE PA in Helsinki.

Naryshkin thanked the leadership of the country "for the hospitality and for the excellent organization and preparation of the OSCE PA session."

According to him, Russia does not refuse to participate in the work of the organization and would continue to defend its point of view in the framework of the session of the Assembly in Ulaanbaatar.