OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ranko Krivokapic met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN Headquarters in New York on 27 November for wide-ranging discussions, including on prospects for increased co-operation between the bodies, APA reports. Krivokapic stressed the benefits that increased OSCE PA involvement can bring to bear on the UN’s work, particularly on international efforts to resolve protracted conflicts. He highlighted the leadership of the OSCE PA’s 12 Special Representatives, including Special Representative on the South Caucasus Joao Soares, whose work complements the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts on conflict resolution in the region.
Ban commended the OSCE PA’s promotion of democratic standards and free, fair, and transparent elections in the OSCE’s 57 participating states. /Apa/