Epress.am News from Armenia
The summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) kicked off today in Strasbourg, France. According to a PACE press release, addresses by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (Tuesday, Jun. 21) and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan (Wednesday, Jun. 22) will be among highlights of the Jun. 20-24 session.
Support for fledgling Arab democracies will be the main theme on Tuesday, when the parliamentarians will decide on the Moroccan Parliament’s request for “Partner for Democracy” status with the Assembly. Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Mouldi Kefi will also take part in a debate on the situation in Tunisia.
This will be followed by a joint debate on sharing responsibilities for asylum seekers and refugees in Europe.
On Wednesday, there will be a debate on follow-up to the report of the Council of Europe Group of Eminent Persons “Living together in 21st century Europe,” while on Thursday, the Assembly holds its biennial debate on the state of human rights in Europe. This will be followed by the ceremony to award the Parliamentary Assembly’s Human Rights Prize for 2011 to the Russian NGO Committee Against Torture.
Earlier, Member of Azerbaijan’s Parliament Ganira Pashayeva had said that Azerbaijani MPs intend to actively participate in discussions and ask questions to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during his speech.