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Europe lawmakers condemn Russian actions in Crimea, Ukraine

Europe lawmakers condemn Russian actions in Crimea, Ukraine

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Head of Delegation of Canada, Dean Allison, left, and Head of Delegation of Ukraine, Artur Gerasymov, during joint press conference at the 24th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Helsinki, Finland Thursday, July 9, 2015. AP

HELSINKI: Some 100 lawmakers, mainly from Europe, have condemned Russia's actions in Crimea and Ukraine at a meeting honoring a 1975 accord seen as a milestone in reducing tensions between the East and West during the Cold War. Representing more than 50 countries, 96 lawmakers on Thursday condemned Russia's 'unilateral and unjustified assault on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.' Seven opposed the motion and 32 abstained. Russia was absent from 40th anniversary meeting in the Finnish capital as its delegates were denied visas in line with the European Union's travel bans for Russia's actions in the Ukraine crisis. The Helsinki Final Act, signed in 1975 by 35 nations, facilitated encounters between several Cold War leaders, including U.S. and Soviet presidents and a meeting between the heads of a divided Germany.