COPENHAGEN, 28 September 2011 – More than 200 parliamentary representatives from 50 OSCE countries and Mediterranean Partner States will participate in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Tenth Fall Meetings in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 7-10 October 2011. Hosted by the Croatian Parliament, the meetings will include a parliamentary conference under the theme of Regional Development in South-East Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects and a

COPENHAGEN, 26 September 2011 In a speech at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, Matteo Mecacci, Chair of the OSCE PA's human rights committee, pointed to OSCE expertise in election processes, rule of law, migration, and human rights as areas that need attention in countries now in transition after the Arab Spring. “These events remind us that the mandate of our Organization is still relevant for millions of people who live both inside

INTERFAX-UKRAINE 15 September 2011 President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Petros Efthymiou has stated that he is still concerned about the trials of opposition figures in Ukraine. "I have expressed my concern in a statement on August 11 and I stand by this. I also expressed my concern to the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn," he said during a joint briefing with Lytvyn after a bilateral meeting in Kyiv. Efthymiou

OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou is greeted by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (Photo by Mykhailo Markiv) KYIV, Ukraine, 15 September 2011 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou today expressed optimism about Ukraine serving as Chair-in-Office of the world's largest regional security organization in 2013. President Efthymiou met today with President Viktor Yanukovych, capping off two days of meetings in Kyiv aimed at

TUNIS, 15 September 2011 – Vice-President Riccardo Migliori (Italy) visited Tunisia, an OSCE Mediterranean Partner State, from 6 to 9 September in his capacity as Head of the OSCE PA election observers for the upcoming elections of the National Constituent Assembly scheduled for 23 October. In meetings with national authorities, leaders of political parties, members of civil society and representatives of international organizations working in

INTERFAX 15 September 2011 Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovych has noted the important role played by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers in the election process and said that Ukraine is ready to cooperate with this organization in improving democratic principles. "Lawmakers, and members of the assembly (the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE) have traditionally played an important role in monitoring the