10/02/2011 President
Speaking today at the Moscow State University of Culture and Art, where he was awarded an "honoris causa" degree, PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu welcomed the positive climate in relations between Russia and the Council of Europe. He said Russian MPs and experts were greatly contributing to the functioning of the Organisation, by actively working on an equal footing with their fellow European colleagues on the most pressing challenges society has to face.
Referring to the Assembly priorities, he expressed concern about the general rise of extremist, racist and xenophobic rhetoric in many of our member states. "The foundation of our common European home must be built on an open society based on respect for diversity not on exclusion, not on discrimination, not on fear and not on hatred," said the PACE President. "We must eradicate racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism, Islamophobia and all kinds of similar phobias leading to discrimination and intolerance," he continued.
In this context, he stressed that intercultural dialogue and its inter-religious dimension was the most effective tool for promoting mutual understanding and fighting against discrimination and expressed hope that the debate on this issue, which the Assembly will be holding during the April 2011 part-session, will provide an opportunity to have a fresh look at the problems as well as to come up with some new solutions and approaches.
Mr Cavusoglu addressed the Moscow State University of Culture and Art at the invitation of Ilyas Umakhanov, Vice-President of the Council of the Federation and Ramazan Abdulatipov, Rector of the University.