Parliamentary Assembly session: 22 – 26 April 2002

		Bosnia and Herzegovina's leaders give a united welcome to integration into Europe During a press conference on the occasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession, Presidency Chairman Beriz Belkic, Presidency members Zivko Radisic and Jozo Kriznovic, Council of Ministers Chairman Dragan Mikerevic, House of Peoples Chairman Sejfudin Tokic and House of Representatives Chairman Zeljko Mirjanic stressed the importance of integration into Europe for their country’s future, the necessity to have a country conforming to European standards, whose citizens benefit from the highest possible level of human rights. protection.
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	The ceremony of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession took place on Wednesday 24 April 2002 at 9.15 am in the main hall of the Palais de l’Europe, followed by the hoisting of the flag on the forecourt of the Palais de l’Europe. Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession
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Live broadcast of the session _________ TVMag - Daily overview of main points on the agenda _________ ‘’The session” – Web magazine (Pdf) _________ Photos The session The visit of the Grand Duke Henry of Luxembourg The visit of Ion Iliescu, President of Romania Bosnia and Herzegovina’s accession Middle East Debate _________ Draft Order of business _________ Committee meetings _________ Verbatim reports _________ Press conferences _________ List of documents _________ Invited personalities _________ Press releases _________ Exhibitions during the session _________ 2002 Museum Prize ****** The CoE in brief Bosnia and Herzegovina and the CoE Lithuania and the CoE Luxembourg and the CoE Romania and the CoE Russia and the CoE					We are going to build a society free of tensions and hate says Bosnia and Herzegovina's President Speaking to the parliamentarians, after the ceremony of his country’s accession to the Council of Europe, Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency Beriz Belkic declared : ''Today you confirmed that we have made an important step on the path we decided to follow: Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina''. ___________________
				Bosnia and Herzegovina accedes to Council of Europe Statute and signs Human Rights Convention and five of its Protocols ___________________
				Middle East debate : Assembly issues stern warning to both sides in the conflict ___________________
					Israelis and Palestinians set their conditions for returning to negotiations ''The moment when Arafat will stop using terrorism as a political instrument against Israel, we will have a chance to return to peace in the Middle East,''Haïm Ramon, member of the Knesset, said during the urgent debate on the Middle East at the Parliamentary Assembly.
				Palestinian Legislative Council member Ziad Abu Zayyad said ''An immediate withdrawal from the occupied territories, an end to Arafat’s isolation and guarantees from the international community are the conditions for returning to peace negotiations'' . Haim Ramon : Full speech and video Ziad Abu Zayyad : Full speech and video Debate report ___________________
					Carla del Ponte: The success of ICTY investigations depends on the will of States to cooperate At her press conference, Carla del Ponte stressed that ICTY investigations required full cooperation of all sides, national authorities as well as organisations such as NATO.
				Full speech of Carla Del Ponte Statement by Carla Del Ponte before the Assembly ___________________
				Sergey Mironov: ''Russia is an integral part of European civilisation'' Speaking before the Parliamentary Assembly, Sergey Mironov, President of the Federation Council (upper chamber) of the Russian Parliament, stressed the importance of integrating human rights standards into Russian society. ___________________
					Antanas Valionis presents Committee of Ministers activities Welcoming the imminent accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis took stock before the Parliamentary Assembly of the work done during his country’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
				Communication of the Committee of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly
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		Jakob Kellenberger: “Council of Europe and ICRC have common goals in the field of the protection of Human Rights” Statement and questions and answers ___________________
Ion Iliescu: “The people of Romania are among the most enthusiastic believers in a United Europe” Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, President Iliescu recalled that ''Romania has worked steadily to repair the wrongs and injustices of the totalitarian regimes''. Questions and answers ___________________
		Grand Duke Henry of Luxembourg adresses the Parliamentary Assembly ''What I find most attractive in the Council’s approach is its faith in the future and its obstinate belief in what is best in human beings'' Grand Duke Henry of Luxembourg stated today in his speech before the Parliamentary Assembly. Questions and answers ___________________
Secretary General’s press breakfast Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the future political architecture of Europe as well as current questions such as enlarged mandate for Council of Europe experts in Chechnya, the situation in Moldova, and the first round of French elections, were at the centre of Walter Schwimmer’s press briefing this morning. ___________________
		Press conference of the Parliamentary Assembly President ''The results of the elections in France showed once again that we must never weaken our efforts to fight racism and xenophobia, not only in new democracies but in all Council of Europe member States,'' said Peter Schieder at his press conference.
__________________________________________________________________________ Assembly Committee hearing on the future of Kaliningrad (23.04.2002) Assembly Committee exchanges views on media freedom in Russia (22.04.2002) __________________________________________________________________________ Speeches Zlatko Lagumdzija, D.Sc., Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [24.04.02] Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov, President of the Federation Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation [24.04.02] Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov, President of the Federation Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation [24.04.02] (Verbatim Note) Beriz Belkic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina [24.04.02] Antanas Valionis, Committee of Ministers President [24.04.02] Walter Schwimmer, Council of Europe Secretary General [24.04.02] Peter Schieder, Parliamentary Assembly President [24.04.02] Antanas Valionis, Ministrer for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers [23.04.02] Ion Iliescu, President of Romania [23.04.02] Jakob Kellenberger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross [22.04.02] His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg [22.04.02] Biographies Peter Schieder, Parliamentary Assembly President Walter Schwimmer, Council of Europe Secretary General Antanas Valionis, Committee of Ministers President Lydie Polfer, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Luxembourg His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg Ion Iliescu, President of Romania Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov, President of the Federation Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Beriz Belkic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatko Lagumdzija, D.Sc., Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dragan Mikerevic, D. Sc.,Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Minister for European Integrations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zivko Radisic, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jozo Krizanovic, Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sejfudin Tokic,Chairman of the House of People of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljko Mirjanic,Chairman of the House of Representatives of Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Personalities Visits Programmes Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (French only) Sergey Mikhailovich Mironov, President of the Federation Council, Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Beriz Belkic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zivko Radisic and Jozo Krizanovic, Members of the Presidency Ion Iliescu, President of Romania (French only) His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (French only)