GENEVA, October 2. /TASS/. Americans, Poles and Ukrainians refused to take part in the inter-parliamentary Contact Group for Ukraine, which was to meet on the sidelines of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Geneva on October 3, Russian State Duma (lower house) Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said on Thursday.

It became known on October 1 that "our overseas partners said they would not take part in the sessions of the working group these days. Then Poles joined them”, Naryshkin said.

“Yesterday it became known that our Ukrainian partners refuse to participate in the working group scheduled for tomorrow,” he added.

“It appears that our overseas partners are displeased with the fact of creating this working group itself ,” Naryshkin said.

He expressed regret over the violations of the agreements. The session of the group has been postponed “for reasons beyond the control of the Parliamentary Assembly”.

Naryshkin also regrets that despite the long-lasting efforts it fails to implement a proposal put forth by the Russian delegation at the previous session in Baku.

“As for the position of overseas partners, it is becoming more evident who really seeks to restore peace in Ukraine and who opposes this process,” he said.

At the same time, Naryshkin said he understood Ukrainian deputies - those who refused to arrive in Geneva because the “active phase” of preparing the parliamentary elections has started in Ukraine.

“The pre-election campaign is likely to be held under pressure of militaristic slogans. Of course, the deputies, who are wishing [to take part in the elections] and who are seeking nomination to the future Ukrainian parliament, don’t want to give themselves away on the platform where the restoration of peace in Ukraine is discussed,” he said.

Several deputies do not want to be responsible for the events in Ukraine - “for the crimes, human rights violations, violence and unlawfulness that unfortunately exist in Ukraine”, Naryshkin said.

However, he said the Russian delegation would work within usual formats and take part in discussions at the Parliamentary Assembly.

Naryshkin also said he had meetings with chairman of the OSCE parliamentary Assembly Ilkka Kanerva and OSCE PA former president Ranko Krivokapic at his request. He is also expected to confer with Speaker of the Swiss House of Representatives Rudy Ostberger and the former chairman of France’s National Assembly. “Probably, I’ll meet with Swiss President, Mr. Didier Burkhalter,” Naryshkin said.

The inter-parliamentary Contact Group for Ukraine was created on Naryshkin’s initiative at the previous OSCE PA session in Baku in the summer.