DUSHANBE, May 2, Asia-Plus - The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), Mr. Göran Lennmarker, is arriving in Dushanbe on May 3.

This trip by Mr. Lennmarker, a member of the Swedish Parliament and chairman of its Committee for Foreign Affairs, is part of an official OSCE PA tour of countries in Central Asia, according to the Tajik MFA.    

A source at the Tajik MFA said that during his stay in Dushanbe, Göran Lennmarker will hold talks with President Emomali Rahmon, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi and heads of both chambers of Tajik parliament (the Majlisi Milli head Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev and the Majlisi Namoyandagon head Saydullo Khairulloyev).  

According to the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, one of the main purposes of the visit is to encourage grater parliamentary involvement in the OSCE.  

The Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE is the parliamentary dimension of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose 56 participating States span the geographical area from Vancouver to Vladivostok.  The primary task of the 320 member Assembly is to facilitate inter-parliamentary dialogue, an important aspect of the overall effort to meet the challenges of democracy throughout the OSCE area.