Romanian authorities do not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian delegations at the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which will take place in Romania, announces the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE).
„Romanian authorities have decided not to allow the participation of the Russian Federation delegation at the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in Romania from June 29 to July 3. The measure will apply to all delegation members, parliamentarians, and technical staff,” announced Radu Filip, MAE spokesperson, quoted by News.ro, on Saturday.
According to the cited source, the same measure will also target the delegation of the Republic of Belarus.
"The decision of the Romanian side is based on Romania's well-known and consistent position towards the Russian Federation, in the context of the ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
Additionally, some members of the Russian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are subject to restrictive measures at the European Union level. The decision also concerns Belarus, a supporter of the war initiated by the Russian Federation," conveyed Radu Filip.
Delegates from over 50 OSCE member states will attend the event in Bucharest. Discussions on global security will take place during the assembly.
In response, Leonid Slutsky, the Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma of Russia, accused discrimination against Russians and deemed it pointless for the Russian Federation to remain in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly after being denied visas for delegation members.
"I believe that the situation regarding the OSCE session in Romania prompts a reconsideration of the continued presence of the permanent delegation of the Federal Assembly of Russia in this organization.
If the discrimination in visa issuance continues, if we are not heard and there is no desire to listen to us, it makes no sense to remain part of such an Assembly," he told journalists, as reported by Interfax, according to Rador Radio Romania.