05/09/2005 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today urged all Council of Europe member states to respond generously to the American appeal for assistance for victims of hurricane Katrina. The President, speaking on the eve of a three-day visit to the US, said: "This is the worst natural disaster in recent American history - and our humanitarian response must rise to this terrible challenge. Europe stands in solidarity with the people of the Gulf coast affected, and we are ready to do all we can to help. In Washington, I hope to find out what is needed. I will then do all in my power to mobilise the 46-nation Council of Europe to help deliver it."
25/08/2005 | President
Constitutional reform in Armenia, the forthcoming elections in Azerbaijan and reforms in Georgia were the main issues discussed during high-level meetings held by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), René van der Linden during his visit to the South Caucasus from 18 to 23 August. Overall, the President concluded that the reform process in the South-Caucasus as a whole needs to be boosted.
24/08/2005 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President (PACE) René van der Linden today completed his visit to Azerbaijan and with it his week-long visit to the South Caucasus. In Azerbaijan he discussed principally the issues of the November Parliamentary elections, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and political prisoners, with a range of actors. The President stressed that the November elections would be a test case for Azerbaijan and an important opportunity for the international community to see that the government was doing its utmost to ensure free and fair elections.
23/08/2005 | President
Strasbourg, 23.08.2005 - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today welcomed the completion of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. “I hope that the partial withdrawal from the West Bank will follow without incidents,” he stressed appealing for calm and restraint. He also, once again, urged the Palestinian Authority to prevent acts of terror in an effective manner. He finally expressed his conviction that the withdrawal would provide impetus to the Middle East peace process on the basis of the Road Map.
22/08/2005 | President
The President welcomed the progress made since the Rose Revolution, while recognising that state and society can not be transformed overnight. Nevertheless, the President urged the authorities to maintain the momentum of reform so as to ensure that all obligations and commitments were met within the previously extended deadlines.
19/08/2005 | President
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden today completed a two-day visit to Armenia, as part of his visit to the South-Caucasus from 18-23 August at - as he stressed - “a crucial time for the country”. The President urged dialogue between the government, opposition and civil society. The constitutional reform was a test case for further democratic development in Armenia and of its willingness to fulfil its obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe, he said.
17/08/2005 | President
Strasbourg, 17.08.2005 – Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President René van der Linden (PACE) has expressed sadness and consternation on hearing that Frère Roger, founder of the Taizé community, had been murdered during a prayer vigil last night attended by more than 2 500 young people from all parts of Europe. The President paid tribute to a man of peace who had worked tirelessly for a church close to all of humankind, a place for reconciliation, sharing and simplicity. He also encouraged Frère Aloïs, Frère Roger's designated successor, to continue to work for peace, reconciliation and trust between human beings - all values upheld by the Taizé community through its very existence and through the difficult work it did every day - and which also lie at the heart of the Council of Europe’s mission.
05/08/2005 | President
PACE President René van der Linden is to make an official visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia from 18 to 23 August. He is due to meet Presidents, Prime Ministers, Foreign Affairs Ministers, Speakers of Parliament and national delegations to PACE of all three countries, as well as NGO representatives and other members of civil society, to discuss a range of issues including proposed constitutional reform in Armenia, forthcoming elections in Azerbaijan and recent developments in Georgia.
03/08/2005 | President
PACE President René van der Linden today called on the authorities of Iran not to bypass the historic opportunity to come to an agreement with France, Germany and the United Kingdom on its nuclear programme. “The EU offer is indeed generous and will lead to a ‘win-win’ situation for all parties,” he said. The President recalled Resolution 1436 (2005), adopted by PACE in April 2005, which he said “gave due consideration to Iran’s legitimate security and economic concerns”, but nonetheless condemned the incompatibility of its nuclear activities with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which it is a party. Iran borders three Council of Europe member states. The President reiterated the Assembly’s confidence in the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its support for the European initiative. “The Assembly, for its part, is ready to engage in a dialogue with Iran for an open society and democratic values”, the President said.
08/07/2005 | President
At a press conference organised in Kiev on 8 July, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President René van der Linden, who chairs a high-level PACE delegation currently visiting Ukraine, expressed concern that “Ukraine belongs to those few countries that have signed or ratified the least number of Council of Europe conventions.” In a speech before the Verkhovna Rada the day before, he had called upon parliamentarians to put pressure on the authorities to speed up the ratification process. With regard to next year’s parliamentary elections he stressed that their preparation and conduct are of a paramount significance and a major test of Ukraine’s democratic credentials and announced that as in the past, PACE will be observing these elections.
07/07/2005 | President
In reaction to the series of bomb attacks in London, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, René van der Linden, made the following statement: “I am deeply shocked by these acts of cruelty and express my profound compassion for the victims and their families. I condemn in the strongest terms these attacks. The fight against terror must have the highest priority for our governments. More than ever, we need a far-reaching common approach to bring an end to these heinous crimes.”
04/07/2005 | President
A high-level PACE delegation – made up of the Assembly’s President René van der Linden and the leaders of its five political groups – is to make a visit to Ukraine from 5 to 8 July 2005. Explaining the purpose of the visit, Mr van der Linden said: "The Orange Revolution inspired many, but now comes the hard work of making Ukraine a truly democratic country, where European standards fully apply. A day after his inauguration, President Yushchenko came to Strasbourg and asked for the Council of Europe’s help. We have already responded, but the purpose of this visit is to find out what more we can do together. The success of democratic reforms in Ukraine is important for the whole region."