Russia votes to suspend participation in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

On Wednesday, Russian parliamentarians voted to suspend Moscow’s participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), describing it as anti-Russian and discriminatory.

Both houses of the Russian parliament – ​​the State Duma and the Federation Council – voted unanimously to stop participating in the body during sessions on Wednesday.

The Federation Council, the upper house of parliament, accused the assembly of “biased, discriminatory approaches, double standards, outright Russophobia and unwillingness to engage in meaningful discussions, including on relevant issues of ensuring equal and indivisible security.”

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is not a decision-making body but is intended to facilitate dialogue between the parliaments of the OSCE members.

The OSCE was founded in 1975 to promote relations between the Western and Eastern blocs. It has 57 members, including Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine has required Russia should be expelled.