The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its disappointment over the representatives of Lithuania and Ukraine to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) being prevented from organizing an exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of the illegal occupation and annexation of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol at the OSCE Conference Centre in Vienna on March 19.

"We are surprised that the OSCE Presidency of Serbia and the OSCE leaders did not permit such a display in the organization, which aims at the protection of human rights and the standards of democracy and the rule of law. This is the first time in the history of the OSCE when an exhibition intended to draw attention to severe human rights violations is prohibited. By preventing the display of the pictures a large part of the population of Crimea cannot tell their story about the occupation of the peninsula in the OSCE headquarters," reads a ministry statement issued on Friday.

According to the statement, the OSCE cannot be taken hostage by Russia's wishes, especially as it has carried out aggressive actions against Ukraine and has occupied parts of Ukrainian territory

The exhibition was intended to draw the attention of OSCE representatives to the illegal occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the subsequent violations of human rights there.