OSCE PA’s Annual Session opens in Birmingham with expressions of support for Ukraine and appeals for ending the war
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s 29th Annual Session opened today in Birmingham, United Kingdom, with calls by OSCE leaders and host officials to end the war in Ukraine with full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Addressing nearly 250 parliamentarians gathered for the event, speakers at the opening plenary denounced the Russian Federation’s invasion, shared their observations from visiting Ukraine and meeting Ukrainian refugees, and urged full investigations and accountability for alleged war crimes and atrocities.
In her speech, OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) highlighted her visit on June 28, 2022, to Kyiv, Bucha, and Irpin — the sites of some of the worst violence in Russia’s war against Ukraine. She described the destruction she witnessed and regretted that as the war continues, many more innocent people will be killed. “To our dear friends in the Ukrainian Delegation,” she said, “my message is clear: We stand with you. We will continue to defend your right to live in peace.”
