19/01/2012 President
Strasbourg, 19.01.2012 – In learning yesterday that Giuseppe Vedovato had died at the age of 99, Mevlüt Cavusoglu, President of the PACE, paid tribute to the former President of the Assembly:
“I was deeply saddened to hear that Giuseppe Vedovato had passed away. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. He was a fervent European and one of the greatest allies the Council of Europe has ever had in upholding its values. He was a member of our Assembly for 22 years and finally its President from 1972 to 1975, “the first Mediterranean President”, as he liked to call himself.
We are grateful to him for the active part he took in building Greater Europe. Under his presidency, priority was given to the Council of Europe’s political role and to stepping up co-operation with the European Community.
Mr Vedovato believed that our organisation has a duty to combat the forces of evil, such as racial hatred, social inequalities and terrorism, by strengthening democracy, human rights, education and culture.
He donated his library to the Council of Europe in 1987. It was a magnificent gift which helped preserve the works of those, who, like himself, helped to build Greater Europe on the basis of these principles”