"What is needed was a real reform of the Council of Europe, and this is what you are doing", emphasised Ms Antonella Mularoni, Foreign Minister of San Marino, during the official visit of SG Thorbjørn Jagland, 1-2 April. The Foreign Minister also informed the SG that San Marino has already launched some initiatives in the framework of the "One in Five" Council of Europe campaign to stop sexual exploitation against children.

In the meeting the two leaders also discussed court reform, COE neighbourhood strategy, EU accession to the European Convention of Human Rights, and the follow-up to the COE report 'Living Together'.

"I am not saying that democracy needs to follow one single recipe, as national traditions and history will always affect a state system. But rather that we should never be short of inspiration when we speak about democracy, and never refrain from looking at each other's political experience", underlined SG Jagland in his speech at the Investiture Ceremony of Their Excellencies, the Captains Regent on Sunday.

Jagland also emphasised the importance of the very active San Marino Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in 2007, where initiatives were taken that form the basis of the current reform of the Strasbourg Court.

During the visit the SG also had meetings with representatives of the political parties of San Marino and their delegation to PACE. In addition to an audience with Their Excellencies, the Captains Regent, Jagland also presented the report 'Living Together' to a broad range of representatives from the authorities, civil society, media and academia in San Marino.

Speech by Thorbjørn Jagland