PACE winter session opening January 21

PanARMENIAN.Net - Reports by Dick Marty, questioning the fairness of UN and EU blacklists, and Lord Russell-Johnston, on developments regarding the future status of Kosovo, will be the focus of debates to be held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) at its forthcoming winter session from 21-25 January 2008. A further highlight will be a debate on the disappearance of newborn babies for illegal adoption in Europe.



Guest speakers invited to address the Assembly include the Presidents of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and Albania, Bamir Topi. Other speakers will include the Prime Ministers of Slovakia (Robert Fico) and Hungary (Ferenc Gyurcsany) as well as Green Cross International President Mikhail Gorbachev (to be confirmed) and Michel Platini, President of UEFA.



The Assembly will elect its new President, the successor to Rene van der Linden, at the opening of the session at 11.30am on Monday 21 January.



The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, will also present a report on the state of the Council of Europe during the session, the PACE communication unit reported.



The Armenian delegation will be headed by chairman of the standing parliamentary commission on state and legal affairs David Harutyunyan.