Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers

High level conference concludes Albanian Chairmanship

Strasbourg, 08.11.2012 - "Diversity in Europe: a Strength for the Future" – the title of the high level conference in Tirana on 9 November – summarises the concept that has guided Council of Europe activities since Albania took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in May. The conference will focus on dialogue with Mediterranean neighbours and the promotion of intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, through education to democratic citizenship values.

Following a welcome speech by Edmond Panariti, Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Bujar Nishani, President of the Republic of Albania, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilisations will address the inaugural session of the Conference.

The Conference will be followed by a meeting for the handover of the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Andorra.

Albanian Foreign Minister Edmond Panariti, Andorran Foreign Minister and incoming Chairman of the Committee of Ministers Gilbert Saboya, and Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni will hold a press conference at 19:15, at the Hotel Sheraton Tirana. (more...)

Back 06.09.2012 - Edmond Panariti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, addresses the workshop on the remembrance of the Holocaust

06.09.2012 - Mr. Edmond Panariti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, addressed the workshop "Tribute from the European youth to the people who saved the honor of humanity during the Holocaust", held in Tirana, on 5 – 6 September 2012.

In his speech, Mr. Panariti stated that our responsibility is not to forget the dark days of our history, and at the same time to keep alive and bring forward the values of living together by advocating tolerance, solidarity, and unconditioned acceptance of the others. This is not just a pure rhetoric but a crucial safeguard against history repeating itself. Thus we all together, highlighted the Albanian Foreign Minister, starting from the teachers at schools to the policy-makers, contribute to the prevention of new forms of anti-Semitism and discrimination.