Speaker of Moldovan Parliament and Acting President Marian Lupu greets President Efthymiou in Chisinau. CHISINAU, 6 May 2011 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today called for a resumption of official negotiations between Chisinau and Tiraspol following high-level meetings in Moldova. The visit is the first of a series of visits that President Efthymiou will conduct in the coming weeks to areas of protracted conflict

Ricardo Migliori (Italy), Tonino Picula (Croatia) and Roberto Battelli (Slovenia) visit Croatia's Istrian Peninsula, 6 May 2011. COPENHAGEN, 6 May 2011 – Leaders of the Italian and Croatian delegations to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today concluded a two-day meeting with local officials on Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula aimed at strengthening cooperation on issues related to national minorities. OSCE PA Vice-President Riccardo Migliori (Italy)

COPENHAGEN 3 May 2011 — OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou released the following statement today commemorating World Press Freedom Day: “One of our most cherished values is the freedom of democracy, but equally important is the freedom of media. “To the governments who restrict press freedoms through laws that make insult a criminal act, harassment that forces printing presses to shut down, or physical abuse that ultimately silences reporters

COPENHAGEN, 3 May 2011 – The public report released yesterday by the International Independent Commission for Inquiry into the events in southern Kyrgyzstan sheds new light on the tragic events of last summer, OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou said today. "I strongly support the work of the Independent Commission headed by Kimmo Kiljunen, President Efthymiou said. "Nothing can undo the suffering or bring back the lives lost, but we are

BBC NEWS 3 May 2011 An independent inquiry into ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan last year says it found serious violations of international law - some of which could amount to crimes against humanity. The report highlighted weak government structures and the possible complicity of security personnel as factors. The Kyrgyz government condemned the report's findings as "unacceptable". The riots last June between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz left

COPENHAGEN, 29 April 2011– The Italian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today called for more parliamentary cooperation to enact legislation aimed at protecting national minorities. In inviting parliamentarians to a conference on minority issues to take place in Bolzano on 20 May, Senator Riccardo Migliori, OSCE PA Vice-President, said “It was exactly in Bolzano three years ago that the OSCE and the High Commissioner on National