31/05/2006 | President
The European Conference of Presidents of Parliament has concluded in Tallinn with a call for follow-up action to further explore the possibilities of parliamentary diplomacy. In concluding remarks, PACE President Rene van der Linden proposed that the Assembly draw up a report on this subject, based on information drawn from all the parliaments, which would form the basis for a future meeting, and could also be debated in national parliaments.
29/05/2006 | President
PACE President Rene van der Linden seized the opportunity when meeting the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today to invite him to address the Assembly at one of its next plenary meetings in Strasbourg. He stressed his firm intention to make the current chairmanship of Russia in the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers a success and qualified its beginning as promising. "This meeting was a milestone in further fostering ties between the CoE and Russia", said President Putin.
19/05/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today called for the “modernisation” of relations between the Council of Europe’s two statutory bodies, in order to exploit the organisation's potential more effectively. In a speech to the Committee of Ministers, the organisation’s executive body, the President said: “According to its Statute, the Council of Europe is not just the Committee of Ministers; it is also the Parliamentary Assembly. We cannot continue with the same institutional arrangements that were considered adequate almost sixty years ago, for a ten-member organisation.”
19/05/2006 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today welcomed the Russian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe as a unique opportunity for Europe to build up a sustainable partnership based on mutual respect and trust. He said that this partnership would be at the heart of discussions at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on 29 May, organised on the occasion of a PACE Standing Committee meeting in Moscow.
17/05/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today condemned the shooting incident that took place in Turkey's Council of State. "By ensuring respect for the rule of law, the judges of the Council of State have played a central role in protecting democratic freedom in modern Turkey," said Mr van der Linden. "This appalling crime, apparently committed in the name of a cruel and barbaric religious extremism, is an open attack on one of the most important symbols of democracy.” He added: “I extend my sincere condolences to the family of the murdered judge, as well as my deepest sympathy to the injured and their families, at this tragic time."
09/05/2006 | President
René van der Linden marked Europe day with a call to consolidate European ideals and values, vital to guaranteeing a stable, safe and prosperous Europe. "The Council of Europe has unique, tried and tested human rights protection machinery and instruments. The European Court of Human Rights, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the European Cultural Convention are good examples. But while the machinery is there, it is for us, parliamentarians and decision-makers, to promote it by being closer in touch with public opinion, hopes, ideas and criticism. We have to restore the bond between Europe and its people," he said.
27/04/2006 | President
René van der Linden today welcomed the draft interim report issued by the European Parliament's temporary committee on alleged secret detentions. "I am very pleased with the close and fruitful cooperation that has developed between the Assembly's enquiry and the EP temporary committee," said Mr van der Linden. "This has clearly worked to the benefit of both institutions as we seek to discover the truth of this affair." "In particular, it is remarkable how closely the temporary committee's findings reiterate the interim conclusions drawn in January by the Assembly's rapporteur Mr Marty. All parliamentarians, whether national or European, should now use this material to increase the political pressure on Council of Europe member States. This will in turn facilitate Mr Marty's work as he prepares to present his final report to the Assembly in June."
31/03/2006 | President
In his speech at the 17th European People’s Party Congress in Rome, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the EPP’s founding, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) René van der Linden called for EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights as a crucial guarantee against new dividing lines in the implementation of human rights in Europe. He said that the European Union must take much greater advantage of the Council of Europe’s unique instruments and mechanisms for promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
31/03/2006 | President
At a private audience in Rome on 3 April, Pope Benedict XVI and Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President René van der Linden discussed questions of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue as well as relations between the Holy See and the Council of Europe. The President also presented a letter inviting His Holiness to address the Parliamentary Assembly.
28/03/2006 | President
Speaking at the end of a two-day visit to Moscow, held to discuss the priorities of the forthcoming Russian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, PACE President René van der Linden stressed the necessity of establishing a strategic partnership between the Council of Europe and Russia based on mutual trust and close permanent contacts. "The forthcoming Russian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers offers a great opportunity to open a new era in our relationship with Russia, ensuring that old rivalries will not be revived and that there will be no more dividing lines in Europe", he said.
23/03/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden is to visit Moscow on 27 and 28 March 2006 for discussions with the authorities on the priorities of the next chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which the Russian Federation will hold from May to November 2006. According to the PACE President, “Russia is important to the Council of Europe and the Council of Europe is important to Russia. The country is set to chair a democratic European organisation for the first time. I am sure that Russia will seek to strengthen our organisation’s unique role in Europe.”
22/03/2006 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today expressed his deep satisfaction following the announcement of a permanent ceasefire by the terrorist organisation ETA. "This is very good news, although it must be treated with caution. I am extremely hopeful that the ceasefire announcement will be confirmed in practice and that peace will prevail once and for all. A horizon of hope is opening up today for all Basque, Spanish and European citizens. It is now time to honour the memory of the hundreds of victims of ETA by joining forces to ensure that peace is victorious over violence".