11/10/2023 | 16:41:54 Mister President, We are living in bad times. Dear colleagues, We are witnessing black pages of European history; military means and cruel violence are used to solve political problems. Power politics is back in its most cruel format. Obviously, everything is overshadowed by this ruthless Russian aggression against Ukraine. We have also witnessed in South Caucuses the deportation of a whole nation from the ancient territories where they have lived – and really lived – a thousand years in... 20/06/2023 | 16:31:54 Thank you very much, Madam President. I am also speaking as a rapporteur for the national political reform process in Belarus, the report process here in the Council of Europe. It was a great moment to listen to the democratic lady of Belarus, Ms Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA to address us today. In a similar way, it was a very emotionally strong moment when this accession started to have the white and red colours of the Volny Chor addressed to us by singing. The words were very indicative... 27/04/2023 | 16:51:15 Mister President, I see the time constraints and I will try to be very brief, knowing that the speakers list is still very long. Mister President, You know very well, when we are discussing countries like Belarus and countries like Russia, we are frequently saying that the place for politicians is in parliament, not in exile or in prison. That's a basic in any democratic society in politics. Mister President, You know similarly well that the place for a child is in a home, in a secure family... 25/04/2023 | 19:52:56 Thank you very much, Madam President. Dear colleagues, on behalf of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, I wish to thank the rapporteur Ms Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN for the excellent work you have prepared. I also thank all members of the Parliamentary Assembly and in particular our partners for their valuable contributions to our debate in this hemicycle today. As the rapporteur reminded us, the partnership for democracy was launched by the Parliamentary Assembly in 2009. It became... 25/04/2023 | 16:36:26 Mister President, I'm more than glad that I can now make a statement after my colleague from Norway. I'm from Finland. Obviously we Nordic countries are congratulating our fellow Nordic country, Iceland, and particularly obviously Ms Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð GYLFADÓTTIR, minister for foreign affairs of Iceland, and the whole delegation in the Council of Europe, including the Government of Iceland for organising this Summit, which is obviously a great achievement. We can also see how well and... 26/01/2023 | 19:30:24 Mr President, I would like to start by saying pity, pity, pity. Session after session, we finally, during the final days, we have the discussion about the desperate conflict between two nations –Azeris, Armenians– who have lived centuries close to each other, that there is a war, tensions and problems. That is very pity. Now, we do have the discussion about the potential major blockade of Lachin corridor and total blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh as a whole. Obviously, if that is fully... 26/01/2023 | 11:32:55 Mr President, We are having here, just now, an exceptionally important discussion on the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Thanks very much, Ms Oleksandra MATVIICHUK, for your very strong, valuable and even emotionally touching speech. Thank you very much indeed. You noted that the war which Russia is carrying out in Ukraine, that Russia has committed many very serious war crimes. You requested us to consider seriously that we need a special international tribunal to address this. I fully... 24/01/2023 | 17:39:43 Madam Chair, President Tiny KOX mentioned that, when opening this issue, that this is the most relevant report. Fourth Summit of this organisation. I do agree. The rapporteur Ms Fiona O'LOUGHLIN said in her statements at the beginning there are major big challenges in Europe today with we should clearly address at this organisation's level. That is also true. And the report is very very solid and good, I can support it. I have two specific points to address. First, the issue of Kosovo... 13/10/2022 | 17:25:27 Thank you very much, Mister President. On behalf of the committee I would like to congratulate the rapporteur Mr George KATROUGALOS for his report and for having navigated such delicate topic as we have discussed today. We recognise that [there are] many issues related to this issue. Regardless of whether one agrees or not with the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, it was a fundamental change for the political reality in Europe. The report in front of us today... 13/10/2022 | 16:24:10 Dear colleagues, We have had here very tough discussions this week looking at heavy political issues and controversies in the world. And today, we are actually just now, discussing a totally different type of issue where we are looking the human being from inside, issues related to our senses and also principal values which we are carrying like tolerance and acceptance of differences in life. Usually when you are assessing this double situation, political conclusions, I would almost say the...