Chairman-in-Office to address OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 8 January 1999 - The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will hold its winter Meeting in Vienna, 14 January, and on Friday 15 January 1999, in the OSCE premises in the Congress Center Hofburg. The meeting on Thursday, 14 January, will start at 15:00 hours with welcoming remarks by the President of the OSCE PA, Ms. Helle Degn (Denmark) after which the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Mr. Knut Vollebaek, will address the meeting. OSCE Secretary General Ambassador Giancarlo Aragona and other senior OSCE officials will brief the parliamentarians on the latest OSCE developments followed by a question/answer session. On Friday, 15 January, the Austrian Chancellor Dr. Viktor Klima will address the Meeting after which the Standing Committee will discuss the results of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Oslo last December and other business.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE is composed of 317 Parliamentarians from 54 OSCE participating States. The Standing Committee is composed of the President of the Assembly, the nine Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, the Chairs of three General Committees on Political Affairs and Security; Economic Matters; and Human Rights and the Heads of National Delegations.

Representatives of the Media are invited to attend the meetings of the Standing Committee. The draft agenda will be available upon request.

For accreditation, please either bring your OSCE badge or a press identification card. Parking is available for press on Thursday from 14:00 - 19:30 and on Friday from 9:30 -18:30 in the OS CE-reserved parking area for those with clearly marked "Presse" signs

For further information please contact:

- in Vienna: Mans Nyberg, OSCE Press Officer.

Tel: +43 1 514 36 533,Mobile: +43 664 133 76 99, Fax: +43 1 514 36 105

- in Copenhagen: Jan R. M. Jooren, Counsellor Press and Public Affairs of the OSCE PA. Tel. +45 33 32 94 00, Mobile: +45 21 60 63 80, Fax: +45 33 32 55 05