MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. Moscow expresses regret that Russian observers were denied registration to the parliamentary election in Ukraine, deputy head of the Russian Central Election Commission Nikolay Bulayev said on Friday.

"We expected this but we still had hope that a different decision may be made in the new conditions which could signify a change in politics and bilateral relations. It is regrettable that this did not happen," Bulayev told TASS.

"We are always open, and we are preparing to hold an international scientitific-practical conference ahead of the Election Day [September 8]. We are sending invitations to everyone, and everyone is responding. Lack of openness never leads to anything good," Bulayev noted.

Russia's Central Election Commission has recommended to the Russian Foreign Ministry observers to the Verkhovna Rada election in Ukraine. Ukraine's Central Election Commission in turn has refused to register 17 Russian observers who were part of the mission from the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Ukraine repeatedly stressed that it will not allow Russian observers at the parliamentary election. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that refusal to register observers with Russian citizenship approved by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is illegitimate.