Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen arriving today, Head of Mission Tonino Picula (MP, Croatia) tomorrow
YEREVAN, 14 February 2013 (հայերեն) – OSCE PA Deputy Secretary General Tina Schoen is arriving in Yerevan today to manage the final phase of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s election observation mission. Ms. Schoen led a preparatory visit to Yerevan last month for the ongoing monitoring of elections in Armenia. Immediately following Ms. Schoen’s visit in January, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s presence was established by Senior Advisor Andreas Baker, who is co-ordinating preparations along with OSCE PA Operations Officer Iryna Sabashuk.
The political leader of the delegation, the Hon. Tonino Picula, a member of the Croatian Parliament and a Vice-President of the Assembly, will arrive in Yerevan tomorrow. Mr. Picula, who formerly served as Foreign Minister of Croatia, has participated in many election observation projects and has most recently led the OSCE election observation missions in the Russian Federation and Georgia.
Ms. Schoen, who is in charge of election observation for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, has managed all of the PA’s observation efforts in Armenia for the past 13 years. She is an expert on the Caucasus region and, in addition to her election observation activities, she accompanied several PA Presidents on their official visits to the region, including Goran Lennmarker of Sweden, who was the PA’s Special Representative on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Mr. Picula was appointed by OSCE PA President Riccardo Migliori of Italy. President Migliori will also participate in this election observation mission. Also arriving with Mr. Picula and Mr. Migliori will be OSCE PA Vice-President Wolfgang Grossruck of Austria and Mr. Roberto Montella, OSCE PA Director of Presidential Administration, who will also participate in this mission.
Mr. Picula and Ms. Schoen will participate in a press conference along with other parliamentarians on Tuesday, 19 February at 11 a.m. at the SIS Hall of Ballroom ARARAT, Marriott Hotel, 1 Amiryan Street, Yerevan.
