Alcee L. Hastings, the OSCE representative to election observation mission in Georgia, to visit Finland

Press release 2/2008
4 January, 2008

The United States Congressman Alcee L. Hastings will arrive on a visit to Finland on 7 January. During his visit, Hastings will meet Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, the current Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE. In addition, he will have a meeting with Sauli Niinistö, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament and the Chair of the Finnish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Hastings will come to Finland directly from the OSCE presidential election observation mission in the Republic of Georgia, where he, in his capacity as the member of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, has acted as Special Co-ordinator for all OSCE short-term election observers.

The Republic of Georgia has invited a full-term OSCE election observation mission to observe its presidential elections. The participants include the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, ODIHR, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Congressman Hastings is a Democrat representing the State of Florida. He is the President Emeritus of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Hastings also acts as the chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission in the United States Congress.

Additional information: Aleksi Härkönen, Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 160 55496, and Second Secretary Ann-Mari Fröberg, Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, tel. +358 9 160 55493