COPENHAGEN, 24 Febuary 2012 – President Petros Efthymiou today issued the following statement on Syria with consent of the Joint Session of the Assembly's three General Committees:

"As President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I deeply regret the violence and loss of life in Syria. As OSCE participating States and partners for co-operation have expressed their concern about the current situation, I call for a full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country. I salute the journalists who have paid such a heavy price to keep the world informed."