Parliamentary Assembly winter session

21 – 25 January 2002

	Saeb Erekat calls Israel back to the negotiating table ''I came here realising that Palestinians and Israelis need help of a third party that is the USA, Europe, Russia and the United Nations. It’s time for their representatives to be there with us,'' stressed the Palestinian Local Government Minister before the Parliamentary Assembly today. ''We submitted a plan to implement Mitchell’s Commission recommendations and we hope that the peace process will be revived'', he stated. Mr Erekat called on Shimon Peres to go back to the negotiating table without pre-conditions: ''Those who demand pre-conditions for negotiations do not intend to negotiate''. Statement by Mr Erekat (English) Questions and Answers (English)
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Order of business _________ Documents list _________ Photos Gallery Election of the Assembly President Key Speakers Shimon Peres visit _________ Press conferences _________ Press releases _________ The CoE in brief Georgia and the CoE Lithuania and the CoE Cyprus and the CoE The Russian Federation and the CoE Bulgaria and the CoE Azerbaijan and the CoE _________ Report by the Lithuanian Chair of the Committee of Ministers to the Assembly _________ Vice-Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly _________ Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of Committees _________ Exhibitions and Events during the Session					Europe is a model for peacemaking in the Middle East, says Shimon Peres at the Council of Europe Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres today stated that a joint position adopted by the United States and Europe would be extremely efficient to help Palestine escape the ongoing chaotic situation. Adressing the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Peres appealed to the 43-nation Organisation to act alongside other countries.
			Address of Mr Peres (English) Questions and Answers (English) Biography (English) Shimon PERES address to the Assembly ___________________
			Maskhadov the key to success in Chechnya peace talks ___________________ Terrorism: no extraditions if the death penalty is sought ___________________
			Assembly's green light for Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership of the Council of Europe The Assembly considers that Bosnia and Herzegovina recognizes the principle of the rule of law and respect for human rights and that it is able and willing to continue the democratic reforms embarked upon to bring its legislation and practice globally into conformity with Council of Europe principles and standards. ___________________
				Peter Schieder elected Assembly President The Austrian Socialist Peter Schieder was elected, by acclamation, President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Mr Schieder succeeds the British Lord Russell-Johnston for a maximum three-year term (a one year term renewable twice). He is the second Austrian President and the Assembly’s 22nd President. Full speech
______________________________________________ Speeches… Saeb Erekat, Minister of Local Government of the Palestinian Authority (English) [24.01.2002] Mike Moore, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (English) [23.01.2002] Shimon Peres, Israeli Vice-Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs (English) [23.01.2002] Adrian Severin, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (English) [23.01.2002] Walter Schwimmer, Council of Europe Secretary General [22.01.2002] Zlatko Lagumdzija, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina [2201.2002] Antanas Valionis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers [22.01.2002] Lord Russell-Johnston, Former Parliamentary Assembly President - Rapporteur for the progress report [21.01.2002] Walter Schwimmer, Council of Europe Secretary General - Declaration following the election of Peter Schieder [21.01.2002] Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly (original version german/english) [21.01.2002] Arturas Paulauskas, President of the Lithuanian Parliament [21.01.2002] Mrs Nino Burdjanadze, Georgia Parliament President [21.01.2002] ______________________________________________ Biographies… Shimon Peres, Israeli Vice-Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs (English) Mike Moore, Director-General of the World Trade Organization Mindia Ugrekhelidze, Judge for Georgia at the European Human Rights Court Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly (German version) Lord Russell-Johnston, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly outgoing President Walter Schwimmer, Council of Europe Secretary General Antanas Valionis, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria