Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit Ref: 546A07 Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34 Pace.Com@Coe.Int Internet

Home , Dalia Itzik, Haim Ramon, Shlomo Amar, Yona Metzger

Press Release Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit Ref: 546a07 Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34 [email protected] internet: www.coe.int/press

47 members PACE President visits Middle East to encourage current opportunities for peace Albania Andorra Armenia Strasbourg, 16.08.2007 – René van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Austria Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), is to make an official visit to the Middle Azerbaijan East from 18-24 August 2007 with the aim of encouraging opportunities presented by Belgium the current situation to achieve sustainable peace in the region and to promote inter- Bosnia and religious dialogue. He will visit Jordan (18-20 August), Israel (20-22 August) and the Herzegovina Palestinian Territories (23-24 August). Bulgaria Croatia The Parliamentary Assembly – made up of 318 parliamentarians from the 47 Council of Cyprus Czech Republic Europe member states – regularly debates the situation in the Middle East and brings th Denmark together parliamentarians from all sides in the conflict. This year marks the 50 Estonia anniversary of the Israeli Knesset’s observer status with the Assembly; in recent years, Finland the Assembly has also developed formal, structured working relations with members of France the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Georgia Germany In Jordan (18-20 August), Mr van der Linden will hold a private audience with King Greece Abdullah II (to be confirmed) and will meet Prime Minister Makhouf Bakhet and the Hungary President of the Senate Zaid Al Rifai, as well as the Speaker of the House of Iceland Ireland Representatives Abdulhadi Majali. Italy Latvia In Israel (20-22 August), he will meet President Shimon Peres and Deputy Prime Liechtenstein Minister Haim Ramon, as well as the Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik. He will also Lithuania meet the Chief Rabbis in Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger and Rabbi Shlomo Amar, and Luxembourg participate in an Inter-religious Forum. In Jerusalem he will visit the Yad Vashem Malta holocaust memorial, and meet the families of abducted soldiers; he will also visit Moldova Sderot, close to Gaza, which has been subject to rocket attacks. Monaco Montenegro Netherlands In the Palestinian Territories (23-24 August), he will meet President Mahmoud Abbas Norway (to be confirmed) and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, as well as PLO negotiator Saeb Poland Erekat and PLC Second Deputy Speaker Hasan Khreishe, among others. He is also Portugal due to visit the tomb of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and meet the Romania families of PLC members detained by the Israeli authorities (to be confirmed). Russia San Marino Contacts: Serbia Slovakia David Milner, Private Office of the President, mobile: +33 6 62 13 93 51. Slovenia Spain Hester Menninga, Advisor to the European Office of the Dutch Senate, mobile +31 652 Sweden 435 090. Switzerland In Strasbourg: PACE Communication Unit, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93. “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

The Parliamentary Assembly brings together 318 members from the national parliaments of the 47 member states. President: René van der Linden (Netherlands, EPP/CD); Secretary General of the Assembly: Mateo Sorinas. Political Groups: SOC (Socialist Group); EPP/CD (Group of the European People's Party); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); EDG (European Democratic Group); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).