Vienna hosted the OSCE PA winter session presided by the OSCE PA President, Georgian MP Gigi Tsereteli.

The session was attended by the Parliamentary delegations from 57 OSCE member states, international organizations, NGOs and media.

The agenda included the conflicts in the OSCE region, issues of terrorism, radical extremism and anti-Semitism, human rights, and analysis of the Committees’ activities and the election monitoring mission.

In his speech, G. Tsereteli touched upon the challenges in OSCE area posing the threat to and damaging the millions of people. “Armed confrontations, protest rallies and political instability are the characteristics of our era and expectations of our citizens on these economic, environmental, political or security challenges are far higher than the promises and electoral slogans solely. Hence, we need to meet them with the certain outcomes, and first of all, by peaceful resolution of the conflicts on OSCE territories”.

He underlined that the creeping wires on the occupied territories of Georgia, kidnapping and illegal detentions constitute the gross violation of OSCE principles and fundamental human rights: “The acute problem is that even under the current agreements and clear action plans, the process is the hostage of the geopolitical ambitions and we also encounter the absence of the political will for resolution. So, we need closer cooperation, intact position and understanding and first of all for Russia that no compromise can be achieved on key Euro-Atlantic security principles”.