Statement by the Delegation of the United States in response to the statement by the Delegation of Belarus on the presidential elections in the United States of America, to be held on 6 November 2012

Prior to taking up the agenda, the Chairperson, on behalf of the Permanent Council, welcomed the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the OSCE, Ambassador Bruno Georges, the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the OSCE, Ambassador Fredrik Löjdquist, and the Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the OSCE, Mr. Ismatullo Nasredinov. Report by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Werner Almhofer. Report by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Article IV of Annex 1-B of the Dayton Peace Accords, Major General Michele Torres. Situation of members of the Roma community in participating States of the OSCE. Extradition from Hungary and subsequent pardoning of Mr. R. Safarov in Azerbaijan (Armenia, Annex 1; Azerbaijan, Annex 2). Freedom of expression in the Russian Federation. Recent developments in Tajikistan. Situation in Belarus. Presidential elections in the United States of America, to be held on 6 November 2012. Report on the Activities of the Chairperson-in-Office. Presidential elections in Slovenia, to be held on 11 November 2012 (Slovenia, Annex 3).