KYIV, 15 January 2010 -- The International Election Observation Mission for the presidential election in Ukraine will present its preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Monday, 18 January, in Kyiv.

The mission is a joint undertaking of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Parliament (EP) and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA).

The preliminary statement will be delivered by João Soares, OSCE PA President and Special Co-ordinator of the OSCE short-term observers, followed by Matyas Eörsi, Head of the PACE delegation, Assen Agov, Head of the NATO PA delegation,Pawel Kowal, Head of the EP delegation, and Heidi Tagliavini, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term election observation mission.

The International Election Observation Mission comprises a total of over 800 observers from 47 countries, including more than 600 long-term and short-term observers deployed by the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as 117 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA, 45 from the PACE, 30 from the NATO PA, and 10 from the EP.

Journalists are invited to attend the news conference at 15:00 on Monday, 18 January at Hotel Premier Palace, 5-7/29 T. Shevchenka Blvd., at Pushkinska Str., Kyiv.