Press Release Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit Ref: 555a07 Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34 [email protected] internet: www.coe.int/press 47 members René van der Linden invites President of the Palestinian Authority to address PACE Albania Andorra Strasbourg, 24.08.2007 - The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council Armenia of Europe (PACE), René van der Linden concluded his official visit to the Middle East Austria (18-24 August) by inviting President Mahmoud Abbas to address the Assembly. Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and In his talks with René van der Linden, President Abbas stressed that security problems Herzegovina in the Palestinian Territories could only be overcome through cooperation between the Bulgaria Israelis and the Palestinians. He fully supported the role of religious leaders and of Croatia inter-religious dialogue as a complement to the political process. He added that he was Cyprus ready to work, alongside Israel, with the Council of Europe to eradicate incitement to Czech Republic hatred from school books and the media. Denmark Estonia Finland With the Minister for Prisoners and Ex-prisoners Ashraf Al-Ajramy, René van der Linden France raised the issue of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members detained by the Georgia Israeli authorities, many without charge, and said that “indeterminate administrative Germany detention of freely-elected representatives is an affront to democracy”. Wives of Greece detained PLC members informed Mr van der Linden of their grave concern with regard Hungary to their husbands’ state of health and detention conditions, including extreme Iceland restrictions on contact even with their families. Ireland Italy In a meeting with PLC members, including those representing the Jerusalem district, Latvia Liechtenstein the President re-iterated his proposal for a tripartite Knesset-PLC-PACE forum for inter- Lithuania parliamentary diplomacy. PLC members expressed their wish to intensify their Luxembourg cooperation with PACE, building on the existing 1998 agreement. Malta Moldova In addition, the PACE President met Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, PLO negotiator Monaco Saeb Erekat and representatives of NGOs. He also laid a wreath at Yasser Arafat’s Montenegro tomb and visited the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Link to press release announcing visit to Middle-East Romania Link to press release on visit to Jordan Russia Link to press release on visit to Israel San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland “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). .