OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO PARLIAMENTARY

UNCLAS STATE 120326 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM OSCE SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SOARES ¶1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at the November 13 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. Begin text: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The United States joins in warmly welcoming Mr. Joao Soares, President of the OSCE's Parliamentary Assembly. We tale particular note of his recent role in leading the PA's election monitoring deployment of 94 election observers to nine geographically and demographically disparate states in the United States. The PA observers did excellent work. We note that the Parliamentary Assembly in this particular instance, and owing to the absence of short-term observers, opted not to join ODIHR in a consolidated observation mission and in issuing a common statement on the elections. It is our hope, under President Soares's leadership, this will prove to be the exception to the general rule of common statements, given the genuine desire expressed by the leadership of both institutions in this respect, and in accordance with the 1997 Cooperation Agreement between the two organizations. We join once again in expressing our appreciation for the important work undertaken by the Parliamentary Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. End text. RICE