More than 240 parliamentarians from 57 countries of the OSCE region participate at the Winter Meetings of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The Meetings started with the meeting of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, where parliamentarians had the opportunity to get acquainted with the reports on media freedom of Ms. Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Special Rapporteur on freedom of the media, then, Mr. Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Mr.Vuko Zugić, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Dimension of the OSCE, Ms. Isabel Santos, Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, as well as the report of Ms. Anne Felan, the Special Rapporteur of this Committee, regarding the Annual Session in Istanbul.
In the reports, it was particularly pointed to the distortion or low degree of media freedom in a number of OSCE Member States, with special focus on Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but it was also pointed to the worrying situation in Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Progress in the area of media freedom, as stated in the reports, was made in Moldova and Serbia.
During the discussion at the meeting of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions parliamentarians were unanimous in thinking that it was necessary for all OSCE Member States to take responsibility, and in their countries act on improvement of legislative frameworks that relate to the issue of the freedom of media, and their application in practice as well.  
During the first day of the Winter Meetings of OSCE PA Joint meeting of three General Committees was held, at which MPs had the opportunity to hear addressing of the President of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Riccardo Migliori, the President of the National Council of Austria, Ms. Barbara Prammer, and  Mr. Vjačeslava Jatsuka, special representative of OSCE Chairman. On that occasion, the President of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Riccardo Migliori, pointing out to the issues in focus of the meetings, reminded parliamentarians to the roots of OSCE -  "Whether we are debating changes to our security forces or the new technology affecting media freedom, the plight of refugees or the protection of borders, solutions for the future can be found in the road map signed in our past, the Helsinki Final Act that binds us all together here"
During the second part of the day meetings of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security and the Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment are planned, at which parliamentarians will have the opportunity to discuss cross-border co-operation and peace policy as permanent heritage of Helsinki.  
The President of the Parliament of Montenegro and the Head of the Delegation, Mr. Ranko Krivokapić, and MP Mr. Milutin Simović participate at the Winter Meetings, as members of the permanent delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro. 
Winter Meetings is open to the public and may be followed on oscepa.org.