The PABSEC participation in the 19th Winter Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), Vienna, 20-21 February 2020

The 19th Winter Meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA) was held on 20-21 February 2020 in Vienna, at the Hofburg Congress Center. At this event, the PABSEC was represented by Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General.

The opening session was addressed by Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka, President of the National Council of the Republic of Austria, Mr. George Tsereteli, President of the OSCE PA, and Mr. Thomas Greminger OSCE Secretary General.

The agenda of the OSCE PA Winter Meeting included speeches by the rapporteurs of general committees on presenting the concepts of their reports to be submitted to the upcoming 29th Annual Session of the OSCE PA in July 2020 and discussed by the members of the Assembly. Special discussions were also organized on the following topics: “The Security Implications of Climate Change and the Role of Parliamentarians” and “Resolving ‘protracted conflicts’: the tools and mechanisms of the OSCE”.

On the side-lines of the event, the PABSEC Secretary General met with Mr. George Tsereteli, the Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Secretary General informed the President that during the meeting with the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the common interest was expressed to organize a joint event in cooperation with other parliamentary assemblies and proposed that the OSCE PA becomes one of the co-organizers. The President of the OSCE PA supported this proposal and it was decided to coordinate the time for this event.