MINSK, 27 February (BelTA) – Christine Muttonen, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), plans to visit Belarus from 15 to 17 March, Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Boleslav Pirshtuk told reporters on 27 February, BelTA has learned.
The OSCE PA head is set to meet with the country's leadership and ink the agreement between the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the organization of the 26th OSCE PA Annual Session.
Boleslav Pirshtuk pointed out that Belarus has established a national organizing committee for the 26th OSCE PA Annual Session in Minsk. The committee is led by Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for 1 March. It will set the tasks and establish stages for the organization of the upcoming events. The committee will hold wide-format meetings once a month.
The session is expected to be eventful. It will include meetings of the OSCE PA Standing Committee and the three General Committees of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly: on Political Affairs and Security; on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment; on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions. Plans have also been made to hold a plenary session and official receptions.
Besides, the foreign guests will be offered a program of cultural events that will supplement the core program. Foreign MPs will be invited to do some sightseeing in Minsk and outside the city. For instance, they will visit the State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, Mir and Nesvizh. “It is important for us to help the guests get a comprehensive picture of our country,” Boleslav Pirshtuk said.
The Belarusian MP believes that an overwhelming majority of the OSCE PA MPs are looking forward to the meeting in Belarus. “It is very important for us that this event should be organized at a high level. We have a good opportunity to showcase the advantages of our country and make 2017 a breakthrough year in terms of the promotion of Belarus' interests, first of all, in the western direction,” he said.
Minsk will host the summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly from 5 to 9 July. The event will focus on the ways of strengthening mutual trust and cooperation for peace and prosperity in the region.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was established in Madrid, Spain in April 1991. It is comprised of 323 MPs from 57 countries. Its major tasks include to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue, support democratic institutions in the OSCE participating states, and promote cooperation and security in the region. The annual summer session is the largest event on the OSCE PA calendar that brings together the leadership and officers of the OSCE PA, adopts declarations and resolutions.
The 25th session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in early July 2016.
