In a meeting with the speaker of the Russian lower house of parliament, Sergei Naryshkin, in Moscow, OSCE PA President Ilkka Kanerva said that the situation in Europe today is very complex and there is a whole range of problems, which are impossible to solve without Russia’s participation.
On July 1, Finland denied issuing entry visas to a group of Russian lawmakers on an EU sanction blacklist, including the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, Sergei Naryshkin. The parliamentarians intended to take part in the summer session of the OSCE PA. In protest, the Russian delegation withdrew from the parliamentary session.
Kanerva said that he hoped all 57 nations in the PACE PA could once again convene and begin working, adding that the organization needs to solve issues that have surfaced with Russia and renew contact.
