Finland Times

 

The Assembly of Standing Committee of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe begins in the Finlandia Building, Helsinki, Finland on July 5th 2015. Photo – Lehtikuva.

A Parliamentary Assembly meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) kicked off on Sunday at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki with more than 300 MPs attending.

 

The ongoing crisis in Ukraine, refugee situation in the Mediterranean, threats posed by climate change as well as observation of elections are on the agenda in this year’s summit.

 

The meeting in Helsinki with the Finnish lawmaker Ilkka Kanerva in the chair will take a stance on the current political developments after adoption of resolutions during its sessions.

 

Nikolai Kovaljeva, member of the lower house of the Russian legislature, the State Duma, was a late arrival to the meeting. Kovaljeva is the only Russian delegate attending the OSCE gathering which ends on July 9.

 

Kovaljeva arrived at the meeting more than one hour late.

 

Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly Ilkka Kanerva at the Assembly of the Standing Committee of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in the Finlandia Building, Helsinki, Finland on July 5th 2015. Photo – Lehtikuva.

The session began with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee meeting in which OSCE member country representatives took turn expressing their views concerning the participation of Russian delegation to the meeting. Finland refused to grant entry visa to six persons as they are on the EU travel ban list. 

 

Several countries criticised the entry ban during the OSCE opening session.

 

Many countries stressed on the existing discussion forum in which all representatives of the member states should always have the possibility to attend.

 

Finland’s stance to refuse to grant the six Russian OSCE delegation members a temporary visa waiver also received support.

 

The Parliamentary Assembly is responsible for monitoring the implementation of OSCE objectives, and discuss what issues will be addressed during OSCE Ministerial Council meeting and OSCE summits. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is also responsible for promoting settlement of conflicts.

 

Russian representative Nikolay Kovalev arrives at the Assembly of the Standing Committee of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in the Finlandia Building, Helsinki, Finland on July 5th 2015. Photo – Lehtikuva.

The number of participants in the Helsinki meeting is over 600, when the number of other members of delegations, the meeting secretariat and guests are added to the number of MPs.

 

The OSCE is comprised of 57 countries. Nearly all member countries have sent a representative to the meeting.

 

President Sauli Niinistö and Foreign Affairs Minister Timo were among the speakers during the Sunday’s opening session.

 

An informal high-level OSCE meeting will be held on Friday after the conclusion of the Parliamentary Assembly meeting.