International election observer mission in Albania to hold press conference on Monday

TIRANA, 21 June 2013 – The international observers monitoring the parliamentary elections in Albania will present their preliminary post-election statement at a news conference on Monday, 24 June, in Tirana.

The international observation mission is a common endeavour involving the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The statement will be delivered by Roberto Battelli, the Special Co-ordinator to lead the short-term OSCE observer mission, followed by Luca Volontè, the Head of the PACE delegation, Joao Soares, the Head of the OSCE PA delegation, and Conny McCormack, the Head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term election observation mission.

This common endeavour comprises more than 380 observers from 43 countries, including 48 long-term observers and experts from the OSCE/ODIHR and 240 short-term observers seconded or funded by OSCE participating States upon request by the OSCE/ODIHR, as well as 48 parliamentarians and staff from the OSCE PA and 24 from PACE.

Live stream of the press conference is available at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/albania2013 and http://www.ustream.tv/channel/albania-eom-press-conference-2013, as well as on the OSCE PA homepage at www.oscepa.organd the OSCE/ODIHR homepage at www.osce.org/odihr/

Journalists are invited to attend the news conference on Monday, 24 June, at 17:00 in the Illyria Ballroom of the Sheraton Tirana Hotel, Sheshi Italia, Tirana.

For further information contact:

Thomas Rymer, OSCE/ODIHR, +355 69 736 65 93 or +48 609 522 266,thomas.rymer@odihr.pl

Roberto Montella, OSCE PA, +355 69 736 66 74 or + 43 699 10 42 86 81,roberto@oscepa.dk

Bogdan Torcatoriu, PACE, +355 68 692 78 79 or +33 650 39 29 40,bogdan.torcatoriu@coe.int

This is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 323 parliamentarians from 57 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international cooperation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.