11/06/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Miroslav Ouzký (Czech Republic, EDG), who is preparing a report on “the presence of the Council of Europe in Northern Ireland” on behalf of the Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, visits Dublin (15-16 June) for discussions with Irish authorities, and possibly border areas in the Republic. His visit is a follow-up to earlier visits to London and Belfast.
01/06/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) and Rudolf Bindig (Germany, SOC), rapporteurs on the political and human rights situations in the Chechen Republic respectively, ended their fact-finding visit to Moscow, Grozny and Nazran today. They aimed to evaluate the situation in Chechnya following the assassination of Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov. They met senior government and legal representatives, parliamentarians and civil society representatives in both Moscow and Grozny, and visited settlements for displaced persons in Nazran.
25/05/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Eli Isaev, Vice-Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic, held an exchange of views with the Assembly's Political Affairs Committee during its meeting in Paris today. Subjects discussed included the human rights situation in the republic, as well as a coming visit to Russia of Council of Europe rapporteurs on the region.
13/05/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are aware of the urgency of resolving their conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region due to its far-reaching negative humanitarian, political and economic consequences, said Political Affairs Committee rapporteur Terry Davis today. He was speaking following meetings in Strasbourg on 13 May with the Foreign Ministers of both countries and the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who thanked him for his earlier visits to the region and his support. Mr Davis is preparing a report on the conflict for debate by the Assembly before the autumn.
19/04/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
A Congressman has called for greater participation of the US Congress in Council of Europe activities. Speaking at the Inter-Parliamentary Forum on Transatlantic Dialogue today in London, organised by the Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee and the British parliamentary delegation, Democrat Congressman Alcee L. Hastings said: “There is an obvious need for continuous and institutionalised dialogue”. The United States has held observer status at the Council of Europe since 1996.
16/04/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
On 19 April, the Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee holds an inter-parliamentary forum on transatlantic dialogue, organised jointly with the United Kingdom delegation to the Assembly. Themes to be discussed include “common action and burden-sharing in the management of international crises” and “rebuilding transatlantic confidence”. Democrat and Republican members of the US Congress will attend the forum, which will be opened by British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell and the head of the British delegation to the Assembly Tony Lloyd. The conclusions of the forum will be used by Claudio Azzolini (Italy, EPP/CD) to prepare a report on “relations between Europe and the United States”.
05/03/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The Political Affairs Committee met (8 March) in the Slovenian capital for an exchange of views with the national authorities, including Slovenian Prime Minister Anton Rop, Foreign Affairs Minister Dimitrij Rupel and parliamentary Speaker Borut Pahor. The committee approved reports by Christos Pourgourides (Cyprus, EPP/CD) on the persecution of the press in the Republic of Belarus, and by Tana de Zulueta (Italy, SOC) on the strengthening of the United Nations.
01/03/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan recognise the urgency of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and have declared their readiness to continue negotiations, said Terry Davis (United Kingdom, SOC) at the end of a five-day visit to the region. Mr Davis, who is preparing a report on “the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference” for debate by the Assembly before the autumn, met the presidents of both countries as well as senior government members.
19/02/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Terry Davis (United Kingdom, SOC) visited Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan and Baku from 23 to 27 February in the framework of a report he is preparing on behalf of the Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee on “the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference”. Following earlier visits to Yerevan and Baku in April 2003, he was asked by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to go to the region. He visited Stepanakert, Aghdam and Shusi/Shusha before travelling on to Yerevan and Baku for meetings with both heads of state as well as senior government members. The two countries pledged to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict when they joined the Council of Europe in January 2001, although in January 2004 the Assembly noted “no progress” on the question. The report is due to be presented before the autumn.
01/01/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
11-15 January, Cyprus – Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, LDR), the Political Affairs Committee’s rapporteur on the situation in Cyprus, visited the island in preparation for his report, which is on the agenda of the Winter Session of the Parliamentary Assembly (26-30 January 2004). Mr Eörsi was received by Tassos Papadopoulos, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and met with Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader. He had also talks with the leaders of the main political parties from both Cypriot communities.