Press Release Parliamentary Assembly Communication Unit Ref: 229a08 Tel: +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax :+33 3 90 21 41 34 [email protected] internet: www.coe.int/press 47 members Ivan Gašparovic, Angela Merkel and Yulia Tymoshenko to Albania Andorra address PACE spring session Armenia Austria Strasbourg, 02.04.2008 – Slovak President Ivan Gašparovic, German Azerbaijan Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Belgium French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner are among the leading personalities Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) during Bulgaria its spring session in Strasbourg (14-18 April 2008). Croatia Cyprus An urgent debate has been requested on the functioning of democratic Czech Republic institutions in Armenia, and a current affairs debate on the situation in the Denmark Estonia Middle East. Finland France Topics to be debated include access to safe and legal abortion in Europe, Georgia Muslim communities confronted with extremism, child and teenage suicide in Germany Greece Europe, and the teaching of European literature, with an intervention by French- Hungary Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf. Iceland Ireland Slovak Foreign Minister Ján Kubiš will present the traditional communication Italy from the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe’s executive body, and Latvia Liechtenstein answer parliamentarians’ questions. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Lithuania Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, will also present his annual activity Luxembourg report. Malta Moldova Monaco On the fringe of the session, the Political Affairs Committee will hold a public Montenegro hearing on “The situation in China on the eve of the Olympic Games” (Thursday Netherlands 17 April at 8.30 am), to be attended by a representative of the Dalai Lama and Norway human rights organisations working in China. The Chinese authorities have Poland Portugal also been invited. Romania Russia The Assembly will finalise its agenda only at the opening of the session. 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: Lluís Maria de Puig (Spain, SOC) ; Secretary General of the Assembly: Mateo Sorinas. Political Groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People's Party); SOC (Socialist Group); EDG (European Democratic Group); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe); UEL (Group of the Unified European Left). Draft agenda Monday 14 April (opening at 11.30 a.m.) < Opening of the second part of the 2008 Ordinary Session Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing Committee, including the observation of elections in Serbia, Monaco, Armenia, Russia and Montenegro Address by Ivan Gašparovič, President of Slovakia Tuesday 15 April Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights European Muslim communities confronted with extremism Address by Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany Communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly presented by Ján Kubiš, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers Annual activity report 2007 by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and statement by Thomas Hammarberg Abuse of the criminal justice system in Belarus Wednesday 16 April Possible second round of the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights Access to safe and legal abortion in Europe Address by Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine Possible current affairs debate Child and teenage suicide in Europe: a serious public health issue The accession of the European Union/European Community to the European Convention on Human Rights Thursday 17 April Possible urgent debate Address by Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of France Promoting the teaching of European literature and statement by Amin Maalouf, writer The situation of national minorities in Vojvodina and of the Romanian ethnic minority in Serbia Friday 18 April Immigration from sub-Saharan Africa Sustainable development and tourism: towards quality growth Practical information Press conferences: PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig will give a press conference on Monday 14 April at 10 a.m. in Room 1. Other press conferences will be announced on the spot. Further details: See the Assembly's website, http://assembly.coe.int. Additional information may also be found on the Council of Europe web portal, http://www.coe.int/PAsession. For TV planning Units: Videos in broadcast quality summing up PACE highlights can be downloaded for free at http://dl.coe.int around two hours after the event. Contact: PACE Communication Unit: tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93; [email protected] For accreditation: Directorate of Communication: Danielle Schreiber-Somoza, [email protected], tel. +33 3 88 41 25 44. .