Events

MINSK, 17 February (BelTA) - A parliamentary delegation of Belarus will take part in the Winter Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), BelTA learned from Vladimir Senko, the chairman of the permanent commission for international affairs and national security of the National Assembly who will lead the Belarusian parliamentary delegation.

According to him, the preparations for the annual conference to be held in Helsinki dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki process was supposed to be the main item on the agenda of the OSCE PA Winter Meeting in Vienna (Austria) on 19-20 February. "This is the main item on the agenda of the winter two-day debates. But today's realities are such that the discussions will take place in and around the Ukrainian crisis, and the OSCE’s response to the crisis.

Meetings of the PA’s three main Committees – Political Affairs and Security; Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; and Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions – will also take place in Vienna. "This is a traditional event. We do not expect any problematic issues for Belarus there," said Vladimir Senko.

Vladimir Senko said that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is an organization known for extensive political content and political battles. "A year ago, when meeting with the PA President and the Secretary General I voiced my concern and negative observations that I made during my year and a half tenure at the organization. I said that the confrontation was brewing, and they agreed with me. Now it has a very different connotation, it has become more intense, because the war is on. Of course, the OSCE should respond, and Belarus in general supports its efforts,” stressed the Senator.