COPENHAGEN, 5 October 2012 - "In the weeks leading up to election day, I had the opportunity to travel with the Security Expert and Legal Analyst meeting local authorities and conveying the importance of the observation and informing them of the potential PA presence in their region. I met with staff of the opposition, attended embassy briefings as well as meetings with ODIHR staff and interlocutors. I also had the chance to get to know LTOs in

Albanian Speaker Jozefina Topalli and PA President Riccardo Migliori approach the podium at the opening of the Fall Meetings on 5 October 2012. TIRANA, Albania, 5 October 2012 – The Fall Meetings opened this morning in Tirana with host officials focusing on issues central to freedom, recalling the good work the OSCE has done promoting progress in South East Europe and urging global co-operation to promote freedom in places like Syria. OSCE PA

TIRANA, Albania, 4 October 2012 – President Riccardo Migliori (MP, Italy) released the following statement today regarding violence between Syria and Turkey: "I strongly condemn the killings of Turkish civilians – lives that Syria's official apology can never bring back. All sides should end their shootings and shellings and recognize that only genuine dialogue can bring about peace in Syria and the wider region. The situation in Syria demands

32 countries now included in sOcialSCapE report COPENHAGEN, 4 October 2012 – From the first political satire TV show in Egypt to Iceland's crowd-sourced constitution, an updated version of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's sOcialSCapE report released today includes 18 new case studies highlighting innovations in civic participation. Featuring interactive parliamentary websites in Russia and Sweden and new open data platforms in Greek and the

COPENHAGEN, 3 October 2012 – Around 140 parliamentary representatives from more than 40 OSCE countries and Mediterranean Partner States will participate in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Fall Meetings, in Tirana, Albania, on 5-7 October. Hosted by the Albanian Parliament, the meetings will include sessions on protecting multicultural societies, the financial crisis, and the media's role in promoting good governance. Featured speakers will

Reuters 2 October 2012 International monitors said on Tuesday that despite some instances of intimidation in Georgia's parliamentary election, voters had freely expressed their will and urged rival political forces to work together following the poll. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili conceded on Tuesday that his party had lost the election to a coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, paving the way for a peaceful transfer of