Parliamentarians from 20 countries have urged Austria to bar Russian delegates from attending a gathering of the world’s largest security body later this month, in a letter seen by AFP on Thursday.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)’s parliamentary assembly is to be held in Vienna on Feb. 23-24, the one-year anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Parliamentarians from 15 EU countries as well as Canada, Georgia, Iceland, the U.K. and Ukraine itself have objected to Russia’s participation at the meeting, urging Austria to prohibit Moscow’s delegation from attending.
Russia would use the meeting to “sow disinformation, fake news and hate speech,” the letter sent to Austria’s government said.
“The participation of the Russian parliamentarians in the Vienna session … would be read in Russia as its indirect legitimization and part of a return to ‘business as usual,'” it added.
“Russia would find that it could achieve its war aims without risking ostracism, isolation and international sanctions.”
Source : The Moscow Times