OSCE PA Winter Meeting set to discuss European security architectureFebruary 16, 2009 - 17:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - More than 270 parliamentarians from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly are scheduled to attend the Eighth Winter Meeting in Vienna 19-20 February, where the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greece's Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, will address the opening session on Thursday morning, February 19, the OSCE PA press office told PanARMENIAN.Net Other speakers include the President of the Austrian Nationalrat, Barbara Prammer; the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, U.S. Congressman, John Tanner; and OSCE PA President, Joao Soares. One of the highlights during the Winter Meeting will be a special debate on Friday morning, 20 February, about the initiatives by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy for new European security arrangements. The OSCE parliamentarians will hear from Alexander Groushko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Veronique Bujon-Barre, Deputy Director for Political and Security Affairs of the French Foreign Ministry; and OSCE PA President Joao Soares. The debate, as other sessions and the meetings of the three General Committees during the Winter Meeting, is open to the press. During the closing session on 20 February, the delegates will hear presentations by the OSCE PA's Special Representative on Gender Issues, OSCE PA Vice-President Tone Tingsgaard, and by Panos Kammenos, Greek Vice Minister of Mercantile Marine, Aegean & Island Policy, on "Piracy As a New Security Threat." The Winter Meeting's agenda also includes a special presentation on Kazakhstan's preparations for its OSCE Chairmanship in 2010 by the Kazakh delegation, led by its head of delegation and OSCE PA Vice President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The OSCE PA Winter Meeting, addressed by the top officials of the OSCE, including the Secretary General and Heads of Institutions is the second largest event in the OSCE PA calendar, topped only by the Annual Session, which is due in Vilnius, Lithuania from June 29 to July 3. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Pashinyan’s spokesperson denies intention to visit Baku for COP29 Pashinyan’s agenda doesn’t include a trip to Baku for the COP29 conference, his press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan has said. Lithuania sending €100,000 to help Armenia fight floods consequences Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. Armenia: Rescue workers restore pedestrian bridge for flood-hit community Rescue workers on Wednesday, June 5 restored a pedestrian bridge in the town of Alaverdi in Armenia’s north. Turkey condemns Uruguay’s recognition of Armenian Genocide Turkey has condemned a newly passed law in Uruguay that recognizes the Armenian Genocide, TRT reports. |