31/03/2011 President
During his working visit to the Czech Republic (30 March - 1 April), PACE President Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu underlined that the Czech Republic could make a significant contribution to the work of the Council of Europe, regarding the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as the reform of the Council of Europe.
Other issues raised included the situation of the Roma population, the situation in Belarus, recent developments in the Arab world as well as PACE’s new “Partnership for democracy” status.
Mr Çavuşoğlu also welcomed the authorities’ commitment to the fight against extremism, and progress made in the fight against discrimination and racism with the entry into force of the new Criminal Code and the passing of the 2009 Anti-Discrimination Act, which provides equal protection against discrimination on the basis of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation.
At the same time, he invited the country to join important Council of Europe conventions such as the Convention on Cybercrime, the Protocol on non-discrimination to the European Convention on Human Rights, the Revised Social Charter, and the Convention on money Laundering.
During his visit, the PACE President had bilateral meetings with the President of the Chamber of Deputies Miroslava Nemcova, the President of the Senate Milan Stech, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Galuska, the Minister of Trade and Industry Martin Kocourek and the Foreign Affairs Committee.