05/11/2010 Standing Committee
Strasbourg, 05.11.2010 – The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will meet in Antalya on Friday 12 November 2010 as Turkey takes over the chairmanship of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.
PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu will open the meeting, followed by welcome addresses from Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Sadik Yakut and the Governor of Antalya Ahmet Altiparmak. The parliamentarians will then hold an exchange of views with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who is chairing the Council of Europe’s executive body for six months from 10 November 2010, on Turkey’s priorities during its chairmanship and other issues as part of the Assembly’s ongoing political dialogue with the Committee of Ministers.
The Standing committee is also due to debate and approve 16 reports, including on Roma asylum seekers in Europe, on strengthening measures to protect and revive highly endangered languages, and on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Other topics to be discussed include military waste and the environment, promoting a prevention policy on online gambling addiction and re-engaging in parliamentary dialogue with the United States.
On the eve of the meeting, 11 November, the Assembly’s Sub-committee on Violence against Women will also meet to take stock of progress, including in Turkey, two years after the end of the Assembly’s campaign on this topic.
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Note to editors
The Standing Committee meeting is open to the press and will be held on Friday 12 November 2010 from 9 am to 12.30 pm and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Susesi Hotel, Iskele Mevkii, Belek / Antalya, 07450 Turkey.
There will be a press point at the end of the exchange of views, estimated to be around 10.30 am, in the "Antalya" room (to be confirmed).
Contacts/accreditation:
Ali Ünal, Press advisor to the PACE President, mobile +90 534 773 25 04, tel. + 90 312 420 51 01, e-mail: [email protected].
Angus Macdonald, PACE Communication Division, mobile +33 6 30 49 68 20, tel. +33 3 88 41 34 39, e-mail: [email protected].
(*) The Standing Committee, which acts on the Assembly’s behalf between plenary sessions, consists of the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, the chairpersons of political groups, the chairpersons of national delegations and the committees chairpersons.