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News from Copenhagen 106.Indd News from Copenhagen Number 106 Current Information from the OSCE PA International Secretariat April 15, 2004 Kosovo Assembly not ready for dialogue OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Vice- of the Parliaments from Belgrade, Podgor- President Giovanni Kessler and Mr. Roberto ica and Pristina. He emphasized the impor- Battelli, Head of the Slovenian Delegation, tance of such a dialogue and said it should visited Kosovo on 6-7 April to meet with the concentrate on issues where legislation is Kosovo Assembly, and they were accom- needed to tackle various challenges such panied by Pentti Väänänen, Deputy Sec- as organized crime. He also informed his retary General. Ambassador Pascal Fiechi, interlocutors that in Belgrade and Podgor- Head of the OSCE Mission to Kosovo, also ica the initiative had received support. attended the meetings. Nexhat Daci said he felt that the right The Delegation first visited Kosovo conditions for the suggested dialogue with Polje where they met with victims of the the Parliament of Serbia did not currently 17 March violence. They then travelled exist and he wanted to have it on a wider to Pristina to meet with the Speaker of basis. He also felt that Slovenia would be the Kosovo Assembly, Nexhat Daci, and a good venue for such a dialogue, as has other Assembly Members. They had a sep- Representatives of the OSCE PA meet with a been suggested by the OSCE PA. arate meeting with Dragisa Krstovic, Serb member of the Serb community in Kosovo Polje Mr. Kessler will report on the visits member of the Kosovo Assembly. The Del- in front of his house, which was destroyed during to Belgrade, Podgorica and Pristina at the egation also met with the Minister of Cul- the violence of 17 March. From the left: Pentti Expanded Bureau Meeting in Copenhagen ture, Youth and Sport, Bexhet Brajshori, Väänänen, Giovanni Kessler, interpreter, owner of on 22 April and to the Standing Commit- and Minister of Trade and Industry, Ali the destroyed house and Roberto Battelli. tee at the Annual Session in Edinburgh. He Jakupi, as well as with representatives of will recommend that the OSCE PA con- the United Nations Interim Administration Kosovo Assembly Members, Mr. Kessler tinue to promote dialogue between the four Mission in Kosovo. introduced the OSCE PA’s initiative to Parliaments and offer to hold the “Round In the meeting with Nexhat Daci and begin a dialogue between representatives Table” when the timing is more suitable. OSCE PA Observes Algerian Presidential Elections US Congressional Hearing on Belarus At the invitation of the Algerian Foreign days prior to the elections with leading offi- Minister Mr. Abdelaziz Belkhadem, a special cials of the Interior Ministry, the Central On 31 March 2004, Programme Officer Delegation of the OSCE Parliamentary Assem- Election Commission, media representatives, Paul LeGendre participated in a congressional bly observed the Presidential Elections held and some of the candidates and their repre- hearing on Belarus in Washington D.C. The in Algeria on 8 April. sentatives. The Delegation hearing was organized by the Sub-Committee The Delegation was also met Foreign Minis- on Europe of the U.S. House of Representa- led by Mr. Bruce ter Belkhadem and the tives and was chaired by Congressman Doug George, President of President of the Algerian Bereuter, Chairman of the Sub-Committee. the Assembly, and National Council, upper formed by Mr. Nevzat chamber of the Algerian Yalcintas (Turkey), parliament, Mr. Vice-President of the Abdelkader Bensalah. Assembly, and Sena- On election day, the tor Anne-Marie Lizin, delegation visited numer- Member of the ous polling stations in Belgian Delegation. Algiers and surrounding Mr. Nicolas Kac- cities including Tipaza, zorowski, election Tizi-Ouzou, and the adviser in the Office President Bruce George and Belgian Senator Berber region of Kabylia. From the left: Paul LeGendre, Stephen Nix and Ariel Cohen. for Democratic Insti- Anne-Marie Lizin at a polling station in Algiers. The Delegation also held tutions and Human consultations with other Dr. Ariel Cohen of the Heritage Foundation Rights, and Mr. Gustavo Pallarés from the international observers from the European Par- and Mr. Stephen Nix of the International OSCE PA International Secretariat accompa- liament, the US Congress, the African Union, Republican Institute were also invited to nied the group. This was the first time that the and the Arab League. In a press conference testify before the Sub-Committee. In his Assembly observed an election in an OSCE hours after the closing of polling stations Bruce remarks, Mr. LeGendre discussed the activi- partner State. George and Anne-Marie Lizin expressed their ties of the Working Group on Belarus as well The Delegation had an extensive pro- opinion that the elections had been carried out as its observations with regard to the forth- gramme of briefings and meetings on the two in a proper and orderly manner. coming parliamentary elections in Belarus. OSCE Parliamentary They were accompanied by nean dialogue. The Delegation Sessions in the future was Assembly Delegation Gustavo Pallarés, Adviser to also met with representatives explored. Visits Libya the President in the Assembly’s of the General Peoples’ Con- Additional meetings were International Secretariat. gress. President George and held at the Ministry of Foreign At the invitation of the lead- The Delegation met with Vice-President Yalcintas dis- Affairs and the Gaddafi Inter- ership of the Libyan General Libyan officials and other civil cussed possible ways to estab- national Foundation for Char- Peoples’ Congress, OSCE Par- society representatives to dis- lish bilateral relations between itable Association, led by its liamentary Assembly President cuss establishing links between the Libyan legislative body and Executive Manager Mr. Saleh Bruce George and Vice-Pres- the OSCE PA and Libya that the OSCE PA. The possibility of Abdussalam. On 2 April, the ident Nevzat Yalcintas visited would lead to future co-oper- a Libyan Delegation attending Delegation met the Prime Min- Tripoli on 1 and 2 April 2004. ation and enhanced Mediterra- one of the Assembly’s Annual ister of Libya, Shukri Ghanim. For further information please contact: Secretary General R. Spencer Oliver, and Mr. Jan Jooren, Counsellor, Public Affairs, E-mail [email protected], Tel: +45 33 37 80 40, Fax: +45 33 37 80 30..
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