11/05/2010 President
In his speech before today’s session of the Committee of Ministers, the PACE President congratulated the Swiss Chairmanship for its efforts to improve the effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights. He thanked the Swiss Foreign Minister, Mrs. Calmy-Rey, for having strengthened dialogue with PACE and said he was convinced that this kind of relations will be continued during the Chairmanship of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and its Foreign Minister, Mr. Miloshoski.
Topics raised during his speech included constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the situation in Albania, Moldova, the frozen conflicts in Nagorno- Karabakh as well as in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. With regard to Belarus, the President recalled that the Assembly had decided to put on hold its activities involving high-level contacts with Belarus. “However, in my opinion, we have a moral obligation towards the people of Belarus to be more present and engaged in the country,” he concluded.