03 February 2011, 12:09
PRESS RELEASE
based on the Results of Work
of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Standing Delegation
in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
during the First Part of PACE Session in 2011
Strasbourg, January 24-28, 2011
The following People´s Deputies, members and deputy members of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Standing Delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe took part in the First Part of PACE Session in 2011: I.Popesku (Head of the Delegation), O.Bilozir, O.Bondarenko, S.Holovatyi, Yu.Liovochkina, Ye.Marmazov, V.Pylypenko, S.Soboliev, and M.Shershun.
The parliament members discussed human organ trafficking in Kosovo, protection of journalists´ information sources, situation in former Yugoslavia (protection of witnesses, legal prosecution of military crimes, reconciliation and political dialogue between the countries in the region), implementation of resolutions of the European Court of Human Rights, reforms of the Council of Europe, situation in Belarus after the presidential elections, etc.
President of Turkey A. Gül, President of Serbia B. Tadić, President of Romania T. Basescu, and Prime Minister of Albania S. Berisha addressed the Parliamentary Assembly.
The Parliamentary Assembly confirmed the authorities of the national delegation, including Ukrainian one, and re-elected Mevlüt Çavusoglu as PACE President, and PACE deputy presidents, including I.Popesku, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation.
The Monitoring Committee considered the issues concerning Ukraine, listening to the report of the representatives of the Venice Commission on the constitutional process in Ukraine. The Committee commissioned the co-reporters M. Reps and M. Purbey-Lundin to visit Ukraine in the beginning of April 2011.
A Socialist Group of the Assembly lodged an application for the report "The State of Women in Ukraine" on the initiative of Mrs Viola von Cramon-Taubadel.
The Assembly elected Sérgio Pinto de Albuquerque as judge to the Court in respect of Portugal.
During the session on January 24, the Assembly observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the terrorist act in Moscow airport Domodedovo.
The members of the Ukrainian delegation met their counterparts from Georgia. Representatives of the Georgian delegation reported on the current state of post-conflict regulation between Russia and Georgia within the Assembly.
The Ukrainian Standing Delegation visited the hospitality event organized by the Finnish Standing Delegation. The attendants discussed the priorities of Ukraine´s presidency over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, namely, protection of children´s rights, implementation of resolutions of the European Court of Human Rights, social security of persons with disabilities, local democracy, and inter-parliamentary cooperation within PACE.
I.Popesku, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation, met PACE President M. Çavusoglu to discuss the issues of the handover of presidency over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (since May 2011), and preparation for the sittings of PACE Standing Committee and PACE Bureau in Kyiv (May 26-27, 2011). M. Çavusoglu informed the Head of the Standing Delegation about the letter of the members of the Standing Delegation representatives of the political opposition in The Verkhovna Rada concerning the alleged political persecutions in Ukraine.
I.Popesku informed the PACE President about the shorthand record of the respective report of the General Prosecution of Ukraine in The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
M. Çavusoglu informed the Head of the Standing Delegation about the results of his working visit to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The Parties also discussed the issues of the Crimean Tatars.
At the invitation of the Azerbaijanian delegation, I.Popesku, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation, attended the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Azerbaijan´s membership in the Council of Europe.