VIENNA, 25 February 2011 - The President of the OSCE PA Petros Efthymiou today issued the following statement on behalf of the Assembly:

"The OSCE PA, gathered in Vienna on the occasion of its Winter Meeting, expresses its deepest concern for the conflicts and violence in the countries of North Africa and for the unacceptable repression carried out in Libya by Gaddafi’s regime.

"We support the principles of democracy, freedom and human rights in any place, as well as the need for a peaceful evolution towards democracy.

"In compliance with the Helsinki Final Act, the OSCE PA pledges to cooperate with the United Nations, European Union, Arab League, and all international organizations, so that effective and proactive measures are adopted in order to stop violence and the massacres of the civil population as well as to share the commitment to helping and supporting the refugees and victims of this crisis."