THE PRESIDENT IN STRASBOURG

THE PRESIDENT IN STRASBOURG

H.E. Prof. Guido de Marco, President of Malta, this morning addressed the third part session of the 2000 Ordinary Session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly during his visit to the organisation's headquarters in Strasbourg - a visit which was described by the President as a "homecoming".

During the day, the President had an intensive series of meetings at Palais de l'Europe which confirmed the warmth and affection with which Malta is considered within the Council of Europe. Prof. de Marco was welcomed by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly Lord Russell-Johnston and signed the Council of Europe's famous Livre D'Or. During the meeting, the President and Lord Russell-Johnston discussed how the Council of Europe is functioning in the context of the present issues namely concerning Chechnya, Kosovo and the enlargement of the Council of Europe. (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Monaco are all aspiring to join the Council of Europe). Prof. de Marco and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly also spoke about the current problems facing the Council of Europe and how it is gearing up to address them.

Prof. de Marco proceeded to a meeting with the chairman of the Ministers' Deputies, the Permanent Representative of Italy to the Council of Europe Ambassador Pietro Ercole Ago. Discussions focused on how the Council of Ministers should perform and the better functioning of the Council of Ministers, considered by many to be the basis for the future of the Council of Europe. Enlargement of the Council of Europe was discussed as well as the future role of the organisation.

The President also met the members of the Maltese parliamentary delegation who are attending the session Dr John Attard Montalto, Dr John Vella, Dr Michael Axiaq and Mr Joe Debono Grech.

Prof. de Marco exchanged views on the future of the Council of Europe with the chairman of the European Popular Party Mr Rems Van der Linden.

In a meeting with the President after lunch, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Mr Walter Schwimmer said he appreciated the encouraging statement made by the President to the Parliamentary Assembly. The President addressed the Parliamentary Assembly at noon and his intervention as followed by a series of parliamentary questions which focused on Malta's application to join the European Union, Malta's Mediterranean role, Malta and the relationship between the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and the future of the Council of Europe.

The President also visited the Human Rights Building which houses the European Court of Human Rights. Prof. de Marco met the President of the European Court of Human Rights Mr Luzius Wildhaber, Maltese judge Dr Giovanni Bonello and the Court Registrar Mr Michele de Salvia. During the meeting, the President and Mr Wildhaber discussed the functioning of the Court and the relations between the European Court of Human Rights and the European Union. Discussions also centred on the problems facing the Court, namely the influx of cases which exceeds the output leading to what Mr Wildhaber described as "asphyxiation".

This evening the President will be meeting the President of the Republic of Macedonia Mr Boris Trajkovski and the Head of the Parliamentary Delegation from Bulgaria Mr Latchezar Toshev.

The President arrived in Strasbourg on Monday night after delivering the keynote address at the conference "The United Nations in the 21^st Century" organised by the United Nations Association of Spain held at the Centro de Estudios Internacionales in Barcelona. Prof. de Marco returns to Malta tomorrow, Wednesday 28^th June 2000.