30/09/2021 | 12:19:19 Madam Chair, dear colleagues, Let us admit it, Europe is failing in the Western Balkans. It is failing its promises, its values of openness and inclusiveness. The accession of the Western Balkans, looks today further away than at the time of the Thessaloniki Summit, actually, further away than ever despite the aspiration of the people in the area and the promises given by the European Union. Make no mistake, it was never an easy endeavour. First of all, we had the weight of the past. The... 28/09/2021 | 10:32:02 Madam Commissioner, in January our Assembly, in echo of proposals of states like South Africa or India, and even ideas of progressive politicians, like Alexis Tsipras, has asked the vaccine to be considered a public good and for a waiver of the intellectual property so as to be possible for all citizens, even in the poorest countries, to get vaccinated. The United States have accepted this idea, but not the European Union. In another case, in San Marino, we have seen the European Commission... 27/09/2021 | 12:16:44 Thank you very much, Madame Chair. I'm very glad to be among you with this new fresh start of our Assembly. The political climate in the elections of Armenia have been determined by two rather uncommon factors. The first one was the momentum of the public revolt of three years ago, which has completely upset the political system in the country. The long dominant Republican Party has not even answered its representation at the elections in 2018. On the other hand, we had the failed war with... 24/06/2021 | 16:51:54 I would like, above all, to thank Mr Momodou Malcolm JALLOW, my friend and comrade, Momodou, for this report. It has been already said that it is a historical report. The first of its kind. but this says a lot, not just about our prejudices, but about how we avoid to look directly at the eye of the problems. Because, of course, Afrophobia is the racism par excellence. It is colour that is the first thing that triggers racism, because nobody can hide the colour of their skin. However, the... 23/06/2021 | 17:48:49 Thank you very much, Madam Chair. First of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur. Second, I have some preliminary remarks. Not so much on the report, but also for the content of what we should investigate in this case. My first remark, is almost obvious that, of course, territorial integrity and sovereignty are cornerstones of the international law and, therefore, the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation is against these cornerstones and cannot be accepted. However, I think that... 22/06/2021 | 17:03:47 Thank you, Mister Chair. I would like to congratulate Mr Andrej HUNKO for a very impressive report. I must say that generally our Assembly has shown good reflexes in this challenging environment of the pandemic. Already in the morning we have responded to challenges related to freedoms and civil rights in order to avoid a hygienic apartheid. As already indicated by both our rapporteurs, the situation at the social level is even more worrying. Oxfam has called the Covid-19 virus the inequality... 20/04/2021 | 16:56:55 I would like to thank the colleagues for their remarks. Better lives for all people is the motto that Ángel Gurría has tried to infuse into the new OECD. As Mr Tony LLOYD, our colleague has remarked, it is trying to change its culture against greed. However, this motto is not the rule in our countries. Conditions of life are getting worse year by year. Insecurity is rising. Although inequalities have been reduced globally, they have an explosive growth in Europe, and more generally in the... 20/04/2021 | 15:06:50 Thank you, Mr Chair. Allow me to begin with a few words for Mr Angel GURRÍA, because we are very close to a historical compromise, which would be impossible just some years ago. And it would not be possible at all without Mr Angel GURRÍA. Mr Angel GURRÍA, after an unprecedented low of three continuous terms, is leaving an OECD now very different than the one existing when he took his functions. He has not only has broadened the organisation with new countries, many more waiting at its front... 20/04/2021 | 10:32:55 Thank you, Chair Madam Chancellor, we see a rise in tension between the United States and Russia and China. Do you think that we are on the brink of a new Cold War? Should Europe try to prevent such an event? And do we have – does the European Union have – the necessary strategic autonomy from the United States for that? And a second question, if I may, you have referred to all frozen conflicts in Europe, but you forgot Cyprus. Although it concerns an occupation by foreign troops of a... 19/04/2021 | 17:09:18 I fully agree with the report, that in some matters we have done a good job, this much. We adapted to dire circumstances and continued working with functionality. So we kept promoting the strategic priorities of the Council of Europe as we are going to discuss later in this session in the framework of the report by Mr Tiny COX. Despite the ominous prognostics or even the wishful thinking and hidden aspirations by some. Still, we have challenges ahead. To all effects of a so far convention...