Parliamentary delegation to participate in OSCE Conference

The Hon John Vella, MP, Leader of the Maltese Parliamentary Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Hon Leo Brincat, MP will be attending the Second Parliamentary Conference: Subregional Economic Cooperation Processes in Europe Faced with the New Challenges organised by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which will be held in Nantes, France, between the 13th and 15th October 1999.

This Conference is part of the process initiated in Monaco in October 1997, upon the initiative of Mr Jacques Floch, President of the General Commission on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment. It will be the occasion to deepen dialogue and exchange experiences between different actors of the subregional economic cooperation in the wider framework offered by the OSCE.

Amongst others, the Conference will be addressed by Ms Helle Degn, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Mr Laurent Fabius, President of the French National Assembly; Lord Russell-Johnston, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Mr Yves Berthelot, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and by Mr Knut Vollebaek, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway, OSCE Chair-in-Office.

Amongst the subjects to be discussed are:

• Safeguarding the environment: the subregional approach for sustainable development;
• Conventional and nuclear energy security: subregional policies;
• social cohesion within States and economic disparities in Europe: the role of subregional organisations; and
• subregional organisations faced with the new threats: combating corruption and organised crime.