During Thursday’s meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, it was quite heated when the Russian representative was given the floor for two minutes. As the Russian Vladimir Dzhabarov began to speak, large numbers of the audience got up and left. – By the way, we are very happy that the neo-Nazis are leaving the hall. Thank you for clearing the air, Dzhabarov said as people streamed out of the meeting, according to Hoksrud, who has been helped to translate from Russian into Norwegian. One of those who left the hall was Storting representative Bård Hoksrud, who is part of the Norwegian delegation. – I don’t know Russian, but I recognized the word Nazi. It’s not something you hear often, says Hoksrud to news. On a live stream from the OSCE on Facebook, Hoksrud can be seen leaving the hall: Bård Hoksrud is part of the Norwegian delegation to the OSCE meeting in Vienna. Here he leaves the room when the Russian representative spoke during Thursday’s meeting. Photo: Screenshot On Friday it happened again. During the OSCE plenary meeting, several delegations left the meeting again, Hoksrud reports in an SMS to news at 11.14am. Stand back It was when the Belarusian and Russian delegates got the word that large parts of the hall chose to move out of the premises. – Then quite a few parliamentarians chose to leave, including Norway. As you can see, quite a few people chose to leave the hall, says Hoksrud, who took pictures on the way out. The photo shows several empty chairs and representatives leaving the OSCE meeting in Vienna as Belarus and Russia speak on Friday. Photo: Bård Hoksrud – It is based on Russia’s understanding of reality, and that today is the first anniversary of the attack. He does not know how the Russian and Belarusian representatives reacted to the fact that several people left the hall on Friday. – Today we don’t know what they said, because we left the meeting, of course. But they have probably kept it somewhat on the same lines as yesterday, Hoksrud believes. Anger and frustration While news talks to Hoksrud, he and the other delegations stand outside the premises and wait for Russia and Belarus to finish speaking. – How is the atmosphere now? – There is a lot of anger and frustration among many of the delegates. Most of those who speak are clear in their condemnation of Russia and the abuses that are taking place. Ukraine boycotts Ukraine has announced in advance that it will boycott the meeting. They do not want to be in the same room as the Russian delegation. Austria, as the host nation, did not want to ban the Russian delegation, although a number of the 57 member states have demanded that they be denied visas, according to NTB. Hoksrud met the Ukrainian delegation outside the meeting premises on Friday. – It was quite a strong meeting. There were discussions about the way forward, and they expressed great gratitude for the contributions Norway has made so far. They cannot say it enough, how satisfied they are with the support Norway provides, says Hoksrud. Bård Hoksrud and parliamentary representative Aleksander Stokkebø (H) at the OSCE meeting in Vienna. Photo: Bård Hoksrud Friday also marks one year since Russia launched its war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine. – It is the first time in my 17 years as a parliamentary representative that I have done this, and in any case in an international delegation, says Hoksrud. Siv Mossleth in the Center Party leads the Norwegian delegation. In addition to Hoksrud from the FRP, Aleksander Stokkebø and Jan Tore Sanner are from the Conservative Party.
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