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Refusing Russia participation at OSCE PA indicates fear of open dialogue — chairman

"But at the same time they pour a lot of claims on us and talk about the fact that there is no democracy here," Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin Alexander Kazakov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin

© Alexander Kazakov/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MINSK, June 17. /TASS/. Russia and Belarus being refused visas to participate in the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is connected with the fear of having an open dialogue, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said during the meeting of the 66th session of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

"Just recently, we were supposed to take part in this event. Our delegations, both from Russia and Belarus were supposed to take part in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Romania. They did not give us a visa, although they were obliged to. Why? They are afraid of the truth, afraid to talk, do not want to build a dialogue," he explained.

"But at the same time they pour a lot of claims on us and talk about the fact that there is no democracy here. There is more democracy here than anywhere else, in Europe it has been gone for a long time, it is under the heel of the United States of America. And in the US it does not exist at all, because there is no competition there, neither parties nor direct elections of the president," the Duma chairman added.

Volodin noted that in Russia, the president is elected in direct elections, through free will. "And they have 530 electors playing. You need half of that number to get a majority. That's it. And 70% of the electors vote by mail. Here are the answers to all these discussions," he emphasized.

Earlier, Romanian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Radu Filip said that the Romanian authorities would not allow delegations from Russia and Belarus to participate in the annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which will be held in Romania from June 29 to July 3.

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Foreign policy OSCE Vyacheslav Volodin

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