President Helle Degn will lead the OSCE Observation Mission for the Russian Presidential Elections

COPENHAGEN, 16 March 2000 - President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mrs. Helle Degn, will arrive in Moscow on Wednesday 22 March to lead the OSCE Observation Mission for the Presidential Elections on 26 March. President Degn represents more than 300 parliamentarians from fifty-four OSCE participating States. She acts as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Austrian Foreign Minister Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, to lead the Mission and to deliver the preliminary post election statement on 27 March.

The parliamentary observation team will include approximately 70 representatives from the parliaments of the following OSCE countries: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine.

The OSCE Election Observation Mission to Russia is a joint effort between the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

INTERVIEWS AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:

Wednesday 22 March, Mrs. Degn arrives at 21.35 hours by SU 216, Moscow SHEREMETYEVO Airport.

President Degn will stay at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, tel + 7 095 927 6000

On Thursday 23 March, President Degn will hold several meetings. *

On Friday 24 March, President Degn will chair the briefing of the parliamentarians. This will include meetings with the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, the Speaker of the State Duma and several Presidential candidates. Location of the briefing: State Duma. Briefings are open to the press between the hours 10.00-11.30 and 14.00-17.00. For accreditation please contact the State Duma.

The meetings and briefings will continue on 25 March at 9.30am, and will include prominent political analysts, human rights experts, and representatives of the mass media. *

On Sunday 26 March, Mrs. Degn will visit polling stations in the Moscow area. *

On Monday 27 March, Mrs. Degn will deliver the OSCE preliminary post election statement during a press conference at 14.00 hours, at the Metropol Hotel.

* Further details will be announced later

For specific press arrangements at the occasions mentioned above or to contact parliamentarians of specific countries, representatives of the media are kindly requested to contact OSCE PA Press Counsellor Jan R.M. Jooren at the International Secretariat in Copenhagen (Tel +45 33 37 80 40, Fax +45 33 37 80 30 e-mail: press.counsellor@oscepa.dk) or at the Savoy Hotel in Moscow from 21 March (Tel + 7 095 929 8500/8555, Fax + 7 095 929 8665