03/04/2007 | President
Following yesterday’s Presidential Decree dissolving the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament), PACE President René van der Linden today made the following declaration: "The Parliamentary Assembly views the current political developments in Ukraine with great concern. The situation that has emerged needs to be resolved in full compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine, and through the legal avenues it offers, as well as through a constructive dialogue between all political forces represented in the Parliament."
02/04/2007 | President
On the occasion of his meeting with Cardinal State Secretary Tarcisio Bertone, who is in charge of the Holy See's political and diplomatic activities, PACE President René van der Linden reiterated his invitation to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to address the Parliamentary Assembly at one of its forthcoming plenary sessions.
29/03/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today received the “Premio Mediterraneo” Award of the Fondazione Mediterraneo, the Euro-Mediterranean Network for Cultural and Social Dialogue, at a ceremony in Naples (Italy). According to the Foundation, Mr van der Linden "has contributed with his political action to the spreading of the values of dialogue in the area of the Greater Mediterranean”.
27/03/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden has sent his condolences to the family of Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan, who passed away at the weekend, and to the people of Armenia. In a letter to the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, the President said Armenia had lost a man who “was praised for his humanity and for his talent to rise above the political divide and reach compromise”. He had done his utmost to stabilise the country politically and strengthen it economically, the President recalled.
20/03/2007 | President
To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March, PACE President René van der Linden today made the following statement: “Europe represents, for millions of people from around the world seeking a better life for themselves and their families, a land of human rights, values and opportunities. Yet for many the reality is instead harassment from authorities desperate to send them home, discrimination in the work place and xenophobia and intolerance from local populations."
16/03/2007 | President
PACE President, René van der Linden, today said that, since the retrial of the Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor accused of deliberately infecting some 426 children with HIV at a hospital in Benghazi, and the death sentence served on them by a Libyan Court on 19 December 2006, he had received hundreds of letters of support for them.
09/03/2007 | President
"I am delighted to learn that President Papadopoulos has now taken the courageous and praiseworthy step of demolishing the wall across the Ledra Street crossing of the Green Line," PACE President René van der Linden said today. "Cyprus need no longer suffer the ignominy of having Europe’s last divided capital. During my recent official visit to the island, I raised this issue as a matter of priority," the President continued. He urged Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to respond constructively and in good faith, by ensuring that Turkish Cypriot soldiers will not be visible to those using the Ledra Street crossing.
07/03/2007 | President
In an appeal to the 46 member states on the eve of International Women’s Day, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President René van der Linden and Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg stress that domestic violence is one of the most widespread violations of human dignity. According to a study carried out for the Council of Europe, between a quarter and a fifth of all women in Europe have been subjected to physical violence at least once in their adult lives. More than one out of ten women have suffered sexual violence with the use of force. Most acts of violence are committed by men in their immediate environment, generally partners or former partners.
28/02/2007 | President
Speaking at a meeting on “Establishing a Community code on visas”, organised by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in Brussels today, PACE President René van der Linden made a plea for the long-term goal of a visa-free European continent. “From the greater European perspective of 46 member states within the Council of Europe, it is important not to create a divided Europe,” he said.
22/02/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today called for the Buffer Zone in Cyprus to be turned from a symbol of division into a symbol of co-operation, and urged Cypriot leaders to take other such “bold steps” to resolve the conflict on the island. Speaking at the end of a four-day official visit to Cyprus, the President called on both sides to honour signs of trust and confidence shown by the other side. “Concessions will be painful, but dialogue and joint action are the only way forward.”
21/02/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden has invited religious leaders from both parts of Cyprus to meet – for the first time, following earlier failed attempts – as part of a series of bi-communal meetings on the third day of an official visit to the island. Speaking following a meeting today with Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, Mr van der Linden said that organising meetings and exchanges between Cypriots from the two communities on the island was “one of the best ways to overcome prejudice and misunderstanding” and could help to create a climate conducive to a solution of the Cyprus problem.
16/02/2007 | President
PACE President René van der Linden will make an official visit to Cyprus from 19 to 22 February 2007, during which he hopes to promote dialogue and reconciliation. Speaking on the eve of the visit, the President said: “There will be no lasting resolution of the situation in Cyprus without serious and sustained dialogue between the two communities, at every possible level. We have already encouraged working contacts in our Assembly, where two Turkish Cypriot representatives participate in our activities. As President of the Parliamentary Assembly, a body that relies on and promotes mutual respect and open dialogue, one of the main aims of my visit will be to try and bring people together.”