COPENHAGEN, 13 June 2016 – In response to this weekend’s deadly shooting in Orlando, Florida, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement: “The horrific attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, was a cowardly and heinous act which I condemn unequivocally. There is no place for such violence and the fact that it was carried out against an LGBT establishment makes it both an act of terrorism

COPENHAGEN, 7 June 2016 – Following today’s car bombing in a central tourist district in Istanbul, killing 11 and wounding dozens, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva (MP, Finland) issued the following statement: “It is with a heavy heart that I once again express my strongest condemnation of yet another terrorist attack in Turkey, this time a car bombing claiming the lives of at least 11 people in Istanbul. There is no

Christine Muttonen and Secretary General Roberto Montella with students of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek on 3 June 2016 BISHKEK, 3 June 2016 – Wrapping up a two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, which has included meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials at the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia and Vice-President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Christine

Alain Neri (right) delivers remarks to an OSCE Code of Conduct conference in Berlin, 2 June 2016 BERLIN, 3 June 2016 – Some 20 OSCE parliamentarians were in Berlin this week for an OSCE Code of Conduct conference focused on strengthening parliamentary control of the security sector. The event, which took place 2-3 June, highlighted the important role that parliaments play in both the oversight of armed forces and in increasing the level of

OSCE PA Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia Christine Muttonen meets the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in Astana on 30 May 2016 ASTANA, 31 May 2016 – Expressing a strong belief in the role of inter-parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative for Central and Eastern Asia, Austrian parliamentarian Christine Muttonen, today called for

Special Representative Kristian Vigenin (left) meets with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Baku, 27 May 2016 (Courtesy: President of Azerbaijan's official website) BAKU, 28 May 2016 – Concluding a two-day visit to Azerbaijan today, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Special Representative on the South Caucasus Kristian Vigenin (MP, Bulgaria) reiterated the need for increased parliamentary communication in favour of efforts for a peaceful