OSCE Assembly Opens in Andorra Urging Dialogue Amid Ukraine War and Putin Threats

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Autumn Session opened in Andorra la Vella with representatives from 51 countries urging stronger dialogue and multilateralism amid rising tensions in Europe, including Russia's war against Ukraine and recent threats from President Vladimir Putin.

Pere Joan Pons, the assembly president and Spain's sole delegate—a Mallorcan Socialist lawyer—delivered the opening address in Catalan, expressing pride in using his native language. He described dialogue as the key instrument for peace, warning it must produce results to prevent conflicts, uphold international law, and improve lives. "The response to this crisis cannot be less multilateralism—it must be more," Pons said. "Not less international law, but firmer respect for it. Dialogue is not weakness; it is the first tool for peace."

Pons voiced support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. Marking the third anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attack on a kibbutz near Gaza—where 64 people were killed and 19 abducted—he called for protecting Palestinian civilians and consistent application of international law.

OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu echoed these themes, stressing diplomatic commitment amid growing risks across Europe. Gathering in Andorra, he said, reaffirms the OSCE's core promise: every nation, regardless of size, has a voice in regional security through consensus and inclusive dialogue.

Andorra's Síndic General, Carles Ensenyat, welcomed the parliamentarians and praised small states' roles as bridges for cooperation. "Neither territorial size nor population should determine a voice's weight or ability to contribute to the common good," he noted. Earlier that morning at Casa de la Vall, Ensenyat met Pons, OSCE-PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, and Sinirlioğlu to discuss multilateralism, Andorra's contributions, and parliamentary diplomacy.

The session at the Congress Centre launches two days of work, followed by the Mediterranean Forum on 9 October under the theme "The Mediterranean at a Crossroads: Parliamentary Dialogue for Security, Stability, and Cooperation." Andorra's delegation includes Meritxell López, Carles Naudi d’Areny-Plandolit, Pol Bartolomé, and Noemí Amador. The OSCE-PA, with 323 members from member states and a secretariat in Copenhagen, promotes interparliamentary dialogue, conflict management, and democratisation.