MALTESE PARLIAMENTARIANS TO ATTEND COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEETING

MALTESE PARLIAMENTARIANS TO ATTEND COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEETING

A parliamentary delegation led by the Hon John Vella, MP and including the Hon John Attard Montalto, the Hon Michael Asciak and the Hon Joe Debono Grech, will be attending the third part of the 2000 Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held in Strasbourg, between the 26^th and 30^th June 2000.

This session will be addressed by H.E. Prof Guido de Marco, President of Malta, on Tuesday, 27^thJune; by Mr Bernard Kouchner, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations interim administrative mission for Kosovo; and by Mr Boris Trajkovski, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Amongst the various subjects to be discussed during the next part session, are:

• the applications of Armenia and Azerbaijan for membership of the Council of Europe;

• conflict in the Chechen Republic;

• arrival of asylum seekers at European airports;

• Biotechnolgies;

• mothers and babies in prison;

• situation of lesbians and gays in Council of Europe member states; and

• situation of gays and lesbians and their partners in respect to asylum imigration in the member states of the Council of Europe

The members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will discuss the EBRD and the state of transition in central and eastern Europe during which discussion Mr Charles Frank, Acting President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will make a statement.

During the session there will also be a communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly presented by Mr Lamberto Dini, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Italy and Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers.