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New PACE President Calls on Member States to Fight Together Against Existing Dangers

Politics Materials 22 January 2008 13:34 (UTC +04:00)
New PACE President Calls on Member States to Fight Together Against Existing Dangers

France, Strasbourg, 22 January / corr. Trend A. Maharramli, I.Alizadeh/ Luis Maria de Puig, the new President of the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) addressed the meeting of the organization.

"I have been working in the Council of Europe for 25 years. Only 21 countries were represented in the organization at that time. We achieved the goals of the Council of Europe (CE) and it was transformed into a unified organization of Europe. The organization expanded after the fall of the Berlin Wall. This made CE change its direction. Currently 47 countries are represented in the organization," the new president said in his speech at the winter session of PACE held in Strasbourg.

According to Puig, the political aims of PACE are based on the directions established by the summit meeting held in 2005 in Warsaw, Polish capital. The PACE President stressed that CE should be closer to its citizens.

The protection of the environment, changes in ecology, immigration and the fight against corruption, the dialogue between religions and cultures and the electricity supply are included in the list of dangers in Europe, he said. "The countries cannot solve these problems separately, we must strengthen the links with our neighbours," Puig said.

The new chairman also reported on the relations between other European institutes and CE relations with the European Union (EU), OSCE and CIS. Puig expressed his hope that the EU will effectively employ the mechanisms of the organization.

The new chairman stated that he was satisfied with the agreement on cooperation signed between the European Parliament and PACE on 11 October, 2007. The cooperation with the Council of Europe is of great significance. The key obligations of each of the three organizations must be determined. The double standards are dangerous and inadmissible, Puig said.

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