Reinhold LopatkaCOPENHAGEN, 12 May 2022 – As part of a renewed effort to facilitate a political solution to the war in Ukraine, OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) has appointed Vice-President Reinhold Lopatka (Austria) as the Assembly’s Special Representative for Parliamentary Dialogue on Ukraine. The appointment was announced Wednesday at the OSCE PA’s online discussion on “The role of the OSCE in addressing the war in Ukraine and its consequences” and seeks to promote dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian parliamentarians in the interest of bringing the conflict to an end.
In her appointment letter, President Cederfelt noted that the OSCE PA was established with a mission to develop measures that prevent and resolve conflicts in the OSCE region. “In this spirit,” the President wrote, “I believe that the resolution of this conflict requires more intensified engagement and support from us, the parliamentarians of the OSCE.” She called on Special Representative Lopatka “to explore all available avenues to foster dialogue, as appropriate and feasible, to support the peaceful resolution of the war and addressing the direct and indirect impact of the war.”
Accepting the appointment, Lopatka stated that he is humbled by the trust placed in him to take on such an important task. “There is no greater challenge facing the OSCE – and indeed the world – than the war in Ukraine,” he said. “It is incumbent on all of us to do what we can to bring this senseless violence to an end, halt the escalatory rhetoric, and return to the spirit of dialogue at the heart of the OSCE.”
He added that while resolving the conflict is essential, it is equally important for the OSCE to uphold the principles of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Lopatka, a member of the Austrian parliament since 2003, was elected Vice-President of the Assembly at the OSCE PA Remote Session in July 2021 and has served as State Secretary in the Austrian Foreign Ministry. He is also Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism and previously served as the Assembly’s Special Representative on Central Asia.
In parliament, he serves as Chair of the European Affairs Committee, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair of the Parliamentarian Friendship Group Austria-Australia, and Head of the Austrian Delegations to PACE, COSAC, IPU and NATO PA. He was Chair of the Parliamentary Group of the Austrian People’s Party from 2013 to 2017.
As OSCE PA Special Representative for Parliamentary Dialogue on Ukraine, Lopatka is tasked with taking initiatives to assist the Russian Federation and Ukraine to engage in parliamentary dialogue, as appropriate, and co-ordinating closely with the OSCE Chairmanship and executive structures, as well as other international actors, on the promotion of coherent actions on dialogue facilitation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
He will report to the Standing Committee and raise awareness on developments in Ukraine, as well as provide recommendations for the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella thanked Lopatka for accepting the appointment. “The OSCE PA is extremely grateful for Mr. Lopatka’s willingness to take on this important task,” Montella said. “He can rest assured that the International Secretariat and myself personally will provide him with the necessary resources to support his diplomatic efforts in fostering the parliamentary dialogue that OSCE PA President Cederfelt is seeking to achieve with this appointment.”
For the full mandate and more background on Reinhold Lopatka, please click here.
