UK denies Russian OSCE team visa – senator – RT World News

The UK has refused visas to Russian lawmakers planning to attend the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly in Birmingham, Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov has told the media.

Speaking to Ria Novosti news outlet on Wednesday, Dzhabarov, who is the first deputy chairman of the Russian Senate’s foreign affairs committee, explained that since all members of the delegation were sanctioned by the UK, lawmakers had to asked the leadership of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian Foreign Ministry to help them obtain British visas.

« Unfortunately, we received an essentially outrageous response, saying that the British government cannot issue visas to the Russian delegation, whatever the reason for which they are travelling,“said the senator.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will meet on July 2 and sit until July 6.

Dzhabarov noted that Moscow would not recognize any decision adopted by the Assembly in the absence of his delegation.

The senator added that Russia would still like to remain in the international institution.

« Participation in the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly gives us the opportunity to promote our vision and approach, » explained Dzhabarov, emphasizing that Moscow does not consider it expedient to « give up just to please our enemies.”

Dzhabarov, however, acknowledged that Russia’s expulsion from the body could be one of the items on the agenda for the next session in Birmingham.

Commenting on the situation, the speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, argued that “any country hosting events must provide the opportunity to participate to all members of the delegation representing OSCE member states.She called for the adoption of a resolution in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that would ban the holding of sessions in countries that do not guarantee the participation of all delegations from all member states.

Matvienko added that efforts to sideline Russia or expel it from the institution only serve to undermine the credibility of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Having held its first session in 1992, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly comprises 57 member states and has as its main objective to facilitateinter-parliamentary dialogue to advance the OSCE’s comprehensive security objectives.”

On February 24, the day Russian forces crossed the Ukrainian border, the Assembly issued a statement condemning Moscow’s actions. The group noted that the offensive « constitutes an armed attack in flagrant and flagrant violation of the most basic norms of international law as well as of the principles and commitments of the OSCE.”

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