Letter from the Rt Hon John Whittingdale MP, Head of the United Kingdom Delegation to the OSCE PA, in response to Mr. Tolstoy’s letter of 13 June 2022

UK Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Delegation leader – the Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP
Inter-Parliamentary Relations Office (Parliamentary Assemblies),
House of Commons, SW1A 0AA
020 7219 6595 oscepa.del@parliament.uk
Members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
14 June 2022
Dear Colleagues,
On 13 June, the Head of the Russian Delegation to the OSCE PA, Mr Petr Tolstoy wrote to all
members of the OSCE PA regarding the British Government’s refusal of visa applications from
members of the Russian Delegation to the OSCE PA to participate in the forthcoming Annual
Assembly in Birmingham. Applications from the Belarus delegation will also be refused.
All members of the Delegation of the Russian Federation are on the UK sanctions list due to the
support they have given to the Russian Federation’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This also applies to
members of the Belarus delegation who have consistently supported the Russian position. The UK
remains open to meaningful dialogue and the OSCE PA is an important forum for conflict
management, mediation and dialogue. However, as long as President Putin’s regime continues its
aggression and occupation of areas of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, we will continue to hold it
to account for its actions. We aspire to a constructive relationship with the Russian Federation, but
that is impossible while this situation continues. This applies equally to Belarus.
The Russian Federation has additionally taken the decision to sanction UK MPs, including myself, the
Speaker of the House of Commons and six other members of the UK delegation, in response to the
UK’s support for Ukraine.
We do not therefore believe that it is appropriate for visas to be issued to the Russian delegation to
attend the OSCE PA at this time and I fully support the UK Government decision. I am happy to
answer further questions from any colleagues on this matter.
With best wishes,
The Right Honourable John Whittingdale OBE MP
Leader of the UK Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Offentligt
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OSCEs Parlamentariske Forsamling 2021-22