The summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is held in Helsinki without Russia

The decision rejecting the issue of visas to Russian diplomats covered by the EU sanctions, was made by Estonia. A number of European countries was willing to givea consent to the members of delegations included in the list of sanctions to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Helsinki, but for the banonly one vote "against" was enough. As a result, the Finnish Foreign Ministry refused the entry to the Chairman of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin, who was supposed to lead the delegation.

According to the head of the Estonian delegation, the EU Member States must adhere to the restrictions imposed by them, and Russia deliberately included in the delegation the officials from the "black list" to see the reaction of Finland and the European Union.

In response to the refusal to grant entry visas to some diplomats, the Russian delegation completely refused to participate in the summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which is expected to be completed by July 9. It is not yet known will Russia take any measures in relation with the present situation or not.