05/12/2007 | President
"Mexico is a valuable partner for the Council of Europe as regards the promotion of the organisation's fundamental values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law beyond the European continent", declared René van der Linden at the end of his official visit to Mexico (Mexico City and Monterrey, 30 November - 4 December 2007).
30/11/2007 | President
Following the execution of police officer Alyaksandr Syarheychyk, announced by the Supreme Court of Belarus [according to Belapan News Agency], PACE President said: “I’m appalled by this execution. Such a barbaric act took place on the very same day that I called on President Lukashenko to commute the death sentences handed down on three other persons. Belarus is the only European country executing people, and the only European State non- member of the Council of Europe. This execution shows that Minsk is not willing to move closer towards the values shared by all other European countries”, Mr van der Linden said.
29/11/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden will make an official visit to Mexico from 29 November to 5 December. In Mexico City and Monterrey he will meet the country's highest authorities, including the President of the Republic, Felipe Calderón, Speaker of the Senate, Santiago Creel, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patricia Espinosa, as well as representatives of regional and local authorities, religious leaders, representatives of NGOs and a student representative.
28/11/2007 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today called on the authorities of Belarus to commute the death sentences of Syarhey Marozaw, Ihar Danchanka and Valerii Gorbatii, who were sentenced to death by shooting by the Supreme Court in 2006.
28/11/2007 | President
European Parliament (EP) President Hans-Gert Pöttering and Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden signed today in Brussels an agreement to improve cooperation between the two Institutions and increase complementary initiatives and synergies.
27/11/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden and EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering will sign in Brussels on 28 November a cooperation agreement aimed at stepping up co-operation between the two bodies, fostering complementary initiatives and increasing synergies. The agreement is a concrete follow-up to the report “Council of Europe – European Union: a sole ambition for the European continent”,prepared by Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and presented to the PACE in April 2006.
26/11/2007 | President
“I am concerned about the arrests of opposition leaders in Moscow and St Petersburg over the weekend,” said PACE President René van der Linden. “Forceful police action of this kind, ahead of an election, is not appropriate.”
23/11/2007 | President
On 24 November, PACE President René van der Linden awarded Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, with a medal and a diploma, the highest distinction of the President of the Assembly, intended to pay tribute to “a great European and a genuine friend of the Council of Europe, deeply committed to its values and principles”. During a ceremony in Maastricht, René van der Linden underlined Mr Juncker’s outstanding contribution to European integration and cooperation and his visionary report on "Council of Europe – European Union: a sole ambition for the European continent".
20/11/2007 | President
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), René van der Linden, has been awarded one of the highest and unique honours of the French Republic: Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur. The insignia were presented to him by the Ambassador of the French Republic to the Netherlands, Jean-Michel Gaussot, on behalf of President Nicolas Sarkozy.
19/11/2007 | President
Addressing a conference organised in Aachen by the Parliamentary Assembly and the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, PACE President René van der Linden today announced the inauguration in 2008 of a European Day for Integration and Intercultural Tolerance as a part of PACE’s contribution to the European Year of Inter-cultural Dialogue. “This will be a clear and visible sign of our shared commitment to making this goal a top political priority for Europe”, PACE President said. The two day conference, mainly concerned with encouraging respect between religions, will be considering how migrants and receiving societies can improve intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.
14/11/2007 | President
“I welcome today’s announcement by the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament that the state of emergency in Georgia is to be lifted on Friday, as we had urged,” said PACE President René van der Linden. “I sincerely hope that this will place Georgia back on the normal democratic path that its people deserve. Furthermore, I call on the authorities to ensure that the forthcoming elections are carried out in full conformity with the democratic standards of the Council of Europe.” PACE’s co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia, Matyas Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE) and Kastriot Islami (Albania, SOC), made a snap visit to the country last week.
07/11/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today called for calm and a balanced response from the Italian government, following its steps to crackdown on Romanian migrants. "The arrest of a Romanian murder suspect should not ... lead to a witch-hunt of Romanians," he said. "The Italian Government may well have the right to expel a number of persons on public safety grounds, but all decisions must be subject to judicial review and taken on an individual basis rather than collectively."