As delivered by Ambassador Ian Kelly to the Permanent Council, Vienna April 19, 2012 The United States notes the release of former Belarusian presidential candidate, Andrei Sannikov, and his campaign manager, Zmitser Bandarenka. These releases, coupled with previous releases, represent a significant step. We urge the Government of Belarus to free all remaining political prisoners ... Read More»

As delivered by Ambassador Ian Kelly to the Permanent Council, Vienna April 19, 2012 We note our continued concern about new laws in Russia which restrict freedoms of expression and assembly for all Russians, but especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. St. Petersburg’s legislature recently passed such a law, which has led to ... Read More»

As delivered by Ambassador Ian Kelly to the Permanent Council, Vienna April 19, 2012 The Geneva Discussions are an important forum for improving security and humanitarian conditions in Georgia. Constructive engagement in the Geneva Discussions and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) is critical to advancing agreement on international security accords, fostering confidence-building measures, ... Read More»

Remarks as delivered by Geoffrey Pyatt Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Vienna, Austria April 17, 2012 Thank you, Minister Mikl-Leitner, for the warm introduction. It’s a real pleasure to be here today with such a distinguished group in this historic and beautiful city. I count my service at the ... Read More»

04/17/2012 – OSCE Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative Remarks at the OSCE Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative 04/19/2012 – Permanent Council Statement in Celebration of 2012 International Roma Day Statement on LGBT Rights in the Russian Federation Statement on Release of Political Prisoners in Belarus Response to the Head of the OSCE Center in Bishkek and the Head of the OSCE Academy in Bishkek Response to Commissioner on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador-at-Large Konstantin Dolgov Statement on Round XIX of the Geneva Discussions on Georgia Statement on Developments on the “5 + 2” Negotiations on Transnistria in Vienna Statement on Voting in Kosovo 04/23/2012 – Economic and Environmental Forum Second Preparatory Meeting Opening Remarks Session I: Overview of International and Regional Anti-Corruption Instruments, Initiatives, and Advancements Session II: Fostering Integrity and Ethical Conduct in the Public Sector Session III: Promoting Sound Management of Public Resources and Budget Spending 04/24/2012 – Economic and Environmental Forum Second Preparatory Meeting Session IV: The Key Role of Civil Society and Business Community Towards Developing Comprehensive and Effective Anti-Corruption Approaches Session V: The Role of Good Governance in Stimulating Sustainable Economic, Social and Environmental Development Concluding Session: The OSCE’s Role in Follow-up to the Forum 04/26/2012 – Permanent Council Statement on Rule of Law in Uzbekistan Statement on Violence Against Journalists in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan ... Read More»