COPENHAGEN, 16 October 2012 – The proposal from six EU interior ministers to reintroduce a visa regime for countries of the Western Balkans would negatively impact the whole region, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on South East Europe Roberto Battelli said today. Interior ministers of Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg have proposed the change that could be approved 25 October at the next EU

Special Co-ordinator Roberto Battelli meets with Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nebojša Kaluđerović prior to the election. PODGORICA, 15 October 2012 – Montenegro's early parliamentary elections on 14 October took place in a peaceful and pluralistic environment with respect for fundamental rights, although continued lack of confidence needs to be addressed, international observers said in a statement issued today. "These

Calls for co-operation, policy input and preservation of field operation budgets VIENNA, 11 October 2012 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori today called on diplomats in Vienna to heed the voices of the people by including parliamentary input in OSCE policy, protecting field operations, and enforcing the agreement that governs how the OSCE PA leads the election observation missions. On election observation he called for

Walburga Habsburg Douglas and Riccardo Migliori meet with presidential administration advisor in Kyiv. KYIV, 11 October 2012 – Walburga Habsburg Douglas (MP, Sweden), the Special Co-ordinator appointed to lead the OSCE election observation mission to Ukraine, today concluded a three-day pre-election visit to the country aimed at assessing the climate ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 October. "I appreciate the authorities'

COPENHAGEN, 9 October 2012 – OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Riccardo Migliori (Italy) today issued the following statement in regards to the prison sentence given to Kazakhstan opposition leader Vladimir Kozlov, head of the unregistered opposition political party Alga!: "I am seriously concerned about the judgment handed down by a court in Aktau, Kazakhstan, that sentenced opposition leader Vladimir Kozlov to seven and a half years in

TIRANA, Albania, 6 October 2012 – The Standing Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly today voted to call for all member countries to condemn in the strongest terms the deadly attack Syrian armed forces carried out on civilians in the Turkish town of Akcakale. The nine-paragraph resolution authored by Emin Onen (MP, Turkey) generated widespread support from parliamentarians incensed by the lack of international response to the ongoing