VIENNA (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – The Russian lower house of parliament speaker’s presence at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) winter meeting this week sent positive signals toward resolving disagreements, the OSCE PA president told Sputnik on Saturday.
State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin led the Russian delegation for the February 25-26 OSCE PA session in Vienna, a move praised by OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella on Friday.
"It is a very good sign that top politicians of the Russian parliament are involved in the OSCE activities. It always sends positive signals when a speaker of the national parliament is actively involved," OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva said.
Russian lawmakers refused to attend the OSCE PA summer session in Helsinki in July 2015, after Finnish authorities had denied visas to several delegates blacklisted by the European Union.
It was the first time when Russia missed the OSCE PA session.
