Russia not in talks with OSCE on observers in upcoming elections

Moscow, Aug 22 (UNI/Sputnik) Russia has not been engaged in any consultations with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the participation of its observers in Russian elections coming September, but is open to re-negotiations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Sunday.

“No, as of today, no consultations are under way. The ODIHR [OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights] decided not to send its representatives to Russia, if the office realizes it made a wrong decision, then they are welcome,” Grushko said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper.

Russia will not further attempt to persuade the agency to send its observers to the September elections as it has fulfilled all its obligations within the OSCE and other international organizations, according to the diplomat.

Moscow, in turn, does not fear that without the ODIHR “certification” the results of upcoming elections will be seen as less legitimate in the West as the legitimacy is determined solely by the Russian people themselves, he noted.

“Such politicized attitude towards election monitoring is an instrument of pressure on individual countries, which is a well-known fact. We have been living in this reality for a long time,” Grushko added.

Moreover, if the situation does not change and the OSCE does not take the infinitive to send observers, Moscow will also not take into account the conclusions made by the organization regarding the results of the elections as “it would be absurd to listen to those who were not present.”.

The OSCE ODIHR refused to send observers to Russia to monitor the September parliamentary elections due to limitations on the number of observers. The OSCE said it believes that limitations were imposed “without any clear pandemic-related restrictions.”