Russia to delegate candidates for OSCE/ODIHR short-term observation mission for Ukraine - Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - Russia will delegate candidates for the short-term observation mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) to the Ukrainian presidential election, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Russian candidates for the mission's short-term component will be duly delegated to the ODIHR in accordance with the invitation we received," the ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry received the relevant request from the OSCE/ODIHR on February 12, it said.
The ministry expressed hope that Russian candidates will be "provided with all conditions needed to perform international observation functions."
Ukraine's Central Election Commission earlier rejected accreditation requests submitted by the ODIHR for two long-term observers from Russia as part of the mission. "Because of that, we had to cancel the decision on their inclusion in the mission," the ministry said.
"Despite this, the Russian side is planning to exercise its right and participate in the international observation of elections in another OSCE member country - in this particular case, in Ukraine," it said.
"Our actions are based on the mutual commitments of all OSCE countries to provide observers with free access to elections in all member countries. This measure is meant to guarantee that electoral processes be transparent and democratic," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian presidential election will take place on March 31.