MALTESE MPs TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

The Hon John Vella, MP, Leader of the Maltese Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe, and the Hon Joe Debono Grech will be participating in the First Part Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held in Strasbourg between the 21^st and 25^th January 2002.

This session will be addressed by Mrs Nino Burdjanadze - President of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr Arturas Paulauskas - President of the Parliament of Lithuania, Mr Adrian Severin - President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, Mr Mike Moore - Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and Mr Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of Bulgaria.

Amongst the subjects to be debated during this part session, are:-

• situation in Cyprus;

• implementation of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights;

• expulsion procedures in conformity with human rights and enforced with respect for safety and dignity;

• conflict in Chechen Republic;

• managing globalisation: the role of the World Trade Organisation in the world economy;

• air transport and terrorism: how to enhance security;

• political prisoners in Azerbaijan;

• social consequences of and responses to drug misuse in member states; and

• right to family life for migrants and refugees.