Strasbourg, 30 November 2015 CDL(2015)055*

Engl. only

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE COMMISSION)

PRESIDENT’S ACTIVITIES

from 21 September to 16 November 2015

*This document has been classified restricted on the date of issue. Unless the Venice Commission decides otherwise, it will be declassified a year after its issue according to the rules set up in Resolution CM/Res(2001)6 on access to Council of Europe documents. This document will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy. www.venice.coe.int CDL(2015)055 - 2 -

21 September 2015 – Strasbourg - Meeting with Mr George Papuashvili, President of the Constitutional Court of Georgia.

25 September 2015 – Strasbourg - Exchange of views with Ms Elena-Simina Tanasescu, Legal Adviser of the President of Romania, and Ms Alexandrina-Livia Rusu, Chargée d’Affaires a.i. the Council of Europe, on the constitutional reform in Romania.

28 September 2015 – Strasbourg - Exchange of views with Mr Vladimir Voronin, former President of the Republic of Moldova, on the Presidential election procedure, possible constitutional amendment and reform of the Prosecutor’s Office.

30 September 2015 – Strasbourg - Meeting with Ms Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, and Mr Konstantin Korkelia, Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe, on constitutional, judicial and prosecutor’s office reforms.

01-02 October 2015 – Baku, Azerbaijan - Opening speech at the Conference on “Protection of human rights and freedoms by Constitutional Courts by means of individual complaint” on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Constitution of Azerbaijan. - Interviews for AZ TV and AZ AR-TA.

8-9 October 2015 – Erevan, - Meeting with Mr , President of the Republic of Armenia, on the constitutional reform. - Attending the International Conference dedicated to the XXth Anniversaries of the Armenian Constitution and of the Constitutional Court; opening address and chairing of the 1st session. - Press conference on the Constitutional Reform for Armenian National TV, AR TV, Kentron TV, Civil net, Yerkir Media, Radio Liberty, Ararat TV, 6007 TV. - Meeting with representatives of Transparency International and Open Society.

14 October 2015 – Moscow, Russian Federation - Attending the Grand Plenary Session of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law devoted to the celebration of its 90th Anniversary. - Meetings with Mr Sergey Naryshkin, Speaker of the State Duma, Mr Meshkov, Deputy Foreign Minister, and Mr Soltanovskiy, new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe, on the co-operation with the Venice Commission.

16 October 2015 – Pristina, Kosovo - Key note speech at the Solemn Ceremony of the 6th Judicial Year of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kosovo. - Meetings on co-operation with the Venice Commission with Mrs Arta Rama, President of the Constitutional Court, Mr Isa Mustafa, Prime Minister, Mr Hajredin Kuçi, Minister of Justice, and Mrs Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo. - Press conference.

23 October 2015 – Venice, Italy - Bilateral meeting with Mr Galust Sahakyan, Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, on co-operation on electoral law, political parties and the judiciary.

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26 October 2015 – Strasbourg - Courtesy visit by Ambassador Shinsuke Shimizu, new Permanent Observer of Japan to the Council of Europe, on relations between Japan and the Venice Commission. - Meeting with Mr Igor Rogov, President of the Constitutional Court of Kazakhstan, on future constitutional reform in Kazakhstan.

28 October 2015 – Strasbourg - Opening speech at the Conference of Central Asian Constitutional Bodies on “the role of the Constitutional Court in safeguarding the supremacy of the constitution”.

29 October 2015 – Strasbourg - Bilateral meetings on future co-operation with Presidents and members of the constitutional Courts of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. - Interview on the reform of Ukrainian judicial system for the newspaper “Law and Business”.

3 November 2015 – Ankara, Turkey - Lecture on “the Rule of Law and Independence of Judiciary” at Ankara University, Faculty of Law, on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary.

5 November 2015 – Strasbourg - Working lunch with Mrs Arta Rama-Hajrizi, President of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, on future requests for Amicus Curiae opinions.

6 November 2015 – Strasbourg - Meeting with Mr Birol Kirmaz, Public Prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Appeal of Turkey, President of the Association of Judicial Unity (YBD) and Mr Boris Duman, Bodrum Chief Public Prosecutor, Foreign Relations Commissioner of YBD, on the judiciary in Turkey and possible co-operation between YBD and the Venice Commission.

13 November 2015 – Strasbourg - Courtesy visit by Ambassador Stelios Perrakis, new Permanent Representative of Greece to the Council of Europe.

16 November 2015 – Rome, Italy - Lecture on the Venice Commission at LUMSA University.