OSCE officials elected Joao Soares of Portugal at the organization's yearly session in Astana, Kazakhstan. Soares, involved in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly since 2002, pledged to respect the OSCE guiding principles and continue the ongoing mission to bring an end to conflicts in the region, the OSCE reported.

"I strongly believe in the OSCE and its parliamentary dimension," Soares said in a statement.

"The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has a pivotal role in the future of the whole organization: promoting the dialogue between all participating States in an inclusive manner, ensuring the respect for the OSCE founding principles and acting towards the resolution of all forms of conflicts."

Soares succeeds Goran Lennmarker of Sweden who was the assembly's president for two years.

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