Press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

VIENNA, 28 September 2011 - The following is a press release issued by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on 28 September. The views expressed in this press release do not necessarily reflect those of the OSCE Chairmanship, nor of all OSCE participating States:

OSCE PA Fall Meetings to debate Regional Development in South-East Europe
Special Presentation on OSCE Conflict Resolution to be moderated by OSCE PA Special Representative on the South Caucasus

COPENHAGEN, 28 September 2011 – More than 200 parliamentary representatives from 50 OSCE countries and Mediterranean Partner States will participate in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Tenth Fall Meetings in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 7-10 October 2011.

Hosted by the Croatian Parliament, the meetings will include a parliamentary conference under the theme of Regional Development in South-East Europe: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects and a Mediterranean Forum. Featured speakers will include OSCE PA President Petros Efthymiou (Greece), OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Luka Bebic, and Head of the PA’s Croatian Delegation Tonino Picula.

All sessions will take place at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel and are open to the media.

Delegations from Algeria, Israel, Jordan and Morocco are also expected to participate, primarily in the sessions of the Mediterranean Forum, which will deal with the topics of freedom, security and justice in the Mediterranean region.

A special presentation on “The Role of the OSCE in Conflict Resolution: Nagorno-Karabakh” will be moderated by the newly appointed Special Representative on the South Caucasus Joao Soares. Keynote speakers for the presentation include Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference.

The conference on regional development in South-East Europe will include discussions on economic co-operation, Euro-Atlantic integration, and promoting long-term stability in South-East Europe. Participants also include representatives of the European Parliament, the delegation of the European Union to Croatia, heads of OSCE Missions in the region and regional business and academic leaders. (See full program here: http://www.oscepa.org/images/stories/documents/activities/3.Fall%20Meet… )

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is comprised of 320 parliamentarians from 55 countries spanning, Europe, Central Asia and North America. The Assembly provides a forum for parliamentary diplomacy, monitors elections, and strengthens international co-operation to uphold commitments on political, security, economic, environmental and human rights issues.

Media Contact:
Neil Simon, Director of Communications, OSCE PA, neil@oscepa.dk, +45 60 10 83 80