13/04/2011 Session
Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmet Davutoğlu stressed that the recent important events in the southern shores of the Mediterranean served as a strong reminder of the relevance of the Council of Europe’s values. Recalling that the core mandate of the Organisation is and remains in Europe, Minister Davutoğlu underlined that in today’s increasingly globalised world, the Council of Europe “cannot simply be indifferent to the regions around it”.
The ongoing reform of the Organisation, internally and in terms of its role in the international arena, should be seen with this reality in mind. The report of the Group of Eminent Persons on “Living together in 21st century Europe,” to be presented at the Istanbul Ministerial on 11 May, should also be seen in this context.