Lithuania has announced this week its decision to boycott the upcoming session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna due to the presence of the Russian delegation. Conservative Party MP Vilija Aleknaitė Abramikienė, the head of the Lithuanian delegation, made the announcement, expressing concerns about Russia’s actions and their impact on joint discussions with parliamentarians from other countries, especially in regard to the Ukrainian delegation.
“At the winter session in Vienna, we will not participate for a very simple reason – we firmly believe that Russia, having crossed all possible red lines, should not be part of any joint discussions with parliamentarians from other nations. ” said the Lithuanian MP during a press conference on Wednesday.
Laurynas Kasčiūnas, another member of the Lithuanian delegation, further highlighted the presence of “Putin supporters” within the Russian delegation to the OSCE. He also expressed concerns about potential provocations by Russian MPs during the Vienna session, suggesting that they might attempt to demonstrate pride in attending despite being under sanctions.
Last week, officials from the Nordic, Baltic, and Polish delegations to the OSCE released a joint statement, calling for Russia to be held accountable for its actions in Ukraine and advocating for the establishment of an international legal mechanism to assess the aggressor’s crimes.
Expressing regret over the situation, the statement specifically noted that Russian parliamentarians, who are currently on the European Union’s sanction list, had been granted visas to attend the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which coincided with the anniversary of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
