COPENHAGEN, 9 February 2011 -- President of the OSCE PA Petros Efthymiou made the following statement regarding recent unrest in Egypt: "The ardour for democracy manifested by the people of Egypt provides an opportunity for real changes in the country, in the direction of strengthening democratic institutions and promoting democratic governance and social justice that shall culminate in free and fair elections. "We call for the cessation of

COPENHAGEN, 9 February 2011 – The Portuguese government nominated on 2 February former OSCE PA President Joao Soares to serve as Secretary General of the OSCE. In nominating Soares, Foreign Minister Luis Amado mentioned the importance of the next Secretary General being a high level political appointment, a concept long promoted by the Parliamentary Assembly. “We believe that the role of the future Secretary General, supporting the

COPENHAGEN, 7 February 2011 – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) today announced Neil Simon as the Assembly's Director of Communications. Mr. Simon brings more than a decade of journalism and public affairs experience to the organization having most recently served as the Communications Director for the U.S. Helsinki Commission based in Washington. He has been a part of several OSCE PA

COPENHAGEN, 3 February 2011 – Kimmo Kiljunen, the OSCE PA's Special Representative for Central Asia, said last week that the International Independent Commission for Inquiry into the June interethnic violence in southern Kyrgyzstan has completed its field work. Having led this Commission since October, Kiljunen said that its work is based on over 700 interviews and statements by victims and witnesses. The final report is expected to be

Копенгаген, 28 января 2011 года – Выражая глубокую скорбь в связи с гибелью людей в результате взрыва в московском аэропорту «Домодедово», председатель ПА ОБСЕ Петрос Эфтимиу решительно осудил явно террористическую атаку, совершенную в понедельник. «Ничто не может оправдать бессмысленное убийство, имевшее место сегодня в Москве. Виновники этого террористического нападения являются преступниками, и с ними необходимо поступать подобным же

RFE/RL 28 January 2011 BISHKEK -- The chairman of the international commission investigating last year's deadly ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan says his group's report will be issued in March, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. Chairman Kimmo Kiljunen, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's special representative for Central Asia, said on January 27 that the commission talked to about 400 locals in the Osh and Jalal-Abad regions during its