COPENHAGEN, 28 February 2012 – President Petros Efthymiou has announced that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly will observe the Russian presidential election on 4 March.

Efthymiou, who led the observation mission to Russian Duma elections in December, made the decision after a discussion with heads of national delegations at the Assembly's Winter Meeting. He nominated Vice-President Tonino Picula (Croatia) to lead the observation mission, which will be comprised primarily of the Assembly's Bureau.

OSCE Chair-in-Office and Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore has appointed Picula Special Co ordinator to head the short-term OSCE observer mission in a letter to President Efthymiou.

Picula recently led the OSCE short-term observer mission to Kazakhstan, and previously led an observation mission to Moldova. He served as the Foreign Minister of Croatia from 2004 2008 and currently serves on the Foreign Policy Committee of the Croatian Parliament.

In accordance with the 1997 Co-operation Agreement between the OSCE PA and the OSCE/ODIHR, Picula will deliver the post-election statement on behalf of the OSCE in Moscow. The observation mission will assess the elections for their conformity with the OSCE commitments as stated in the 1990 Copenhagen Document, to which the Russian Federation has subscribed.