The Russian delegation in Vienna was not allowed to lay flowers at the monument to Soviet soldiers

"When issuing visas, they (Russian delegates) were required to sign a kind of declaration that they undertake not to participate in any events that are not listed in the program of the parliamentary assembly. This also affected, unfortunately, our ceremony today", - Lyubinsky said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

The diplomat added that the heads of the diplomatic mission in Vienna laid two wreaths at the monument at once — from themselves and the delegation of the Federal Assembly.

The solemn ceremony of laying wreaths at the monument to Soviet soldiers liberators took place in the Austrian capital on Thursday morning. In addition to Lubinsky, the event was attended by Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov.

The meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe takes place on February 23 and 24. A week earlier, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced the need to issue visas to participate in PA meetings to Russian politicians under sanctions. He explained this by international obligations. Due to the participation of the Russian delegation, Lithuania and Ukraine announced a boycott of the winter session of the PA.