Ministers’ Deputies

Records

CM/Del/Act(2007)1010bis-final (Confidential) 22 January 2008

———————————————

1010bis meeting, 12 November 2007

Records
Addendum to CM/Del/Dec(2007)1010bis

———————————————

CONTENTS[1]

Page

1.2        Stocktaking of the outgoing chairmanship of the Republic of Serbia............................................. 2

1.3        Presentation of the priorities of the incoming chairmanship of the Slovak Republic....................... 11

Item 1.2

Stocktaking of the outgoing chairmanship of the Republic of Serbia

Mr Vuk Jeremić, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, made the following statement:

“I am honoured to speak to you for the final time in my capacity as the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers. The Republic of Serbia assumed the chairmanship at a crucial moment: two years after the historic Third Summit of Heads of State and Government in Warsaw in May 2005, and two years before the 60th anniversary of the Organisation itself.

I am truly proud to be able to echo the appraisal of our Secretary General, Mr Terry Davis, of the achievements of our chairmanship. As he said in Belgrade just a few days ago, Serbia is a capable European leader that deserves to wear the European colours. On behalf of my government, I thank you for your heartfelt words.

The bedrock belief that democracy is interdependent with individual liberty, the rule of law, human and minority rights, and toleration of differences, came to light in the post-war reconciliation between France and Germany, and, more broadly, in the reconciliation of all European nations and states with one another. From its inception, joining the institutions of Europe has in effect meant renouncing violence as a tool of statecraft in the European space. That is why Europe is so aptly termed the reconciler of nations.

Since its inception, therefore, Europe’s institutions have acted as a democratic binding agent that has, incredibly, defeated the divisions that plagued our continent for more than a millennium. This unprecedented endeavour has built up credibility by embracing the view that progress comes in incremental steps through the building of consensus. This view has been consistently supported by an unwavering conviction on behalf of the member states of the power of values such as tolerance and dialogue, compromise and concession.

A democracy of substance is what I have called the “grand idea of Europe”. It is about equality, inclusiveness, pluralism and prosperity. And about building a democratic Europe free of division and strife; about building a form of government in which citizens have a chance to justly live a purposeful, noble life – a government that walks shoulder to shoulder with each and every citizen with empathy and understanding, sharing in their hopes and dreams.

Speaking in Madrid a few months ago, I characterised the work that remains in these terms: the task before Europe – its strategic duty – is to develop a concerted effort to articulate and pursue a comprehensive strategy for a responsible international role in the volatile world of the 21st century. The Council of Europe, in my view, must continue to play a central role in fulfilling this historic task.

The Serbian Chairmanship has sought to promote this strategic European task through a number of activities and initiatives that revolve around the slogan “One Europe – Our Europe”. Let me summarise the four priorities that were first presented during the 117th Ministerial Session of the Committee of Ministers – priorities that built on the positive momentum and the spirit of continuity reinforced by the four countries that have chaired the Committee of Ministers since the Third Summit: Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation and San Marino.

First, promoting the core values of the Council of Europe: human rights, minority rights, democracy and the rule of law. We strove to boost the effectiveness and implementation of the Convention system, monitoring mechanisms, as well as those connected to democracy consolidation initiatives.

Second, enhancing the security of individuals. We pursued this priority through the intensification of multilateral and, especially, regional efforts at combating terrorism, organised crime, the trafficking of persons and drugs, and corruption.

Third, building a more tolerant, humane and inclusive Europe. We worked to emphasise a European identity that respects our common heritage, while at the same time encouraging diversity as a source of strength and a force for progressive cohesion.

And our fourth priority focused on fostering co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Western Balkans. Fully incorporating this region – my region – into the European Union is in the interest of the Council of Europe, and has been further encouraged by supporting regional co-operation initiatives.

I wish to recall that during the 117th Ministerial Session of the Committee of Ministers, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union was concluded – a document that clearly indicated that the Council of Europe remained the benchmark for human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Europe.

As we know, two of the most important pillars of the European system of human rights protection are the European Convention on Human Rights – the ECHR – and the European Court of Human Rights. Serbia actively promoted the long-term effectiveness of these two embodiments of the values of Europe.

The entry into force of Protocol No. 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights remains of essential importance for the enhanced effectiveness of the Convention system. To that end, we worked to improve and strengthen national implementation mechanisms, including increasing the effectiveness of national judiciaries.

And we hosted a regional conference on the role of the Supreme Courts of South-East Europe in the implementation of the ECHR at national levels. We used the occasion to reaffirm our position that fully implementing the ECHR is an essential tool for the further consolidation of regional democratic stability.

Other initiatives designed to strengthen regional co-operation and help educate and empower the most vulnerable members of our diverse societies, as well as encourage the strengthening of local and regional democracy efforts, included hosting a seminar on action against trafficking in human beings; a regional conference on the protection of children; a regional conference on qualifications frameworks in the area of European Higher Education; a conference entitled “Bringing regional and local authorities together for greater cohesion”; and, among many others, an informal conference of Ministers responsible for Cultural Affairs. The latter presented us with an opportunity to promote intercultural dialogue, and to help advance the drafting of a White Paper on this issue – in particular its religious dimension – in preparation for the 2008 celebration of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

Moreover, I would like to note with pride that the Serbian Chairmanship included civil society and representatives of non-governmental organisations in the preparation and implementation of the priorities of our chairmanship, underling the important role they play in democracy. Several conferences targeting the NGO sector were organised, including a meeting of Schools of Political Studies held in early November and, most recently one entitled “NGOs and civil society: Promoters of democracy and active citizenship” that was held earlier this month in the central Serbian city of Niš.

In early July, the Summer University for Democracy was held in Strasbourg. The President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr Boris Tadić, and the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Dr Oliver Dulić, addressed the opening and closing sessions, respectively, of this youth-oriented, NGO-themed event.

Serbia’s Prime Minister, Dr Vojislav Koštunica, also participated in Council of Europe events, including addressing the Parliamentary Assembly. Moreover, a whole host of senior Council of Europe officials took time to visit our country during our chairmanship. Aside from the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, the President and Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe came to Serbia, as did the President of the Conference of INGOs, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.

The report on the chairmanship activities of the Republic of Serbia that has been circulated lays forth an active array of activities in which the Committee of Ministers participated, some of which I have mentioned already.

And I would place emphasis on a few others. The first is our collective decision to establish 10 October as the European Day against the Death Penalty. I was greatly pleased to have been able to take an active role in reaffirming Europe as a death penalty free zone. And to express the firm hope of the Committee of Ministers that this zone will soon extend to the rest of the world.

For me, the issue of the death penalty comes down to a fundamental question about the nature of justice. As the slogan of the Council of Europe’s contribution to publicising the European Day against the Death Penalty puts it, “Death is not Justice”. Death at the hand of man – whether acting as an individual or as a sovereign collective – can never be in the service of justice, because justice is the virtuous, calm and deliberate response of reason to uncontrolled passion. Putting a criminal to death debases the political community, by reducing society to the same level of depravity and inhibition as the convict. That is why Europe proudly condemns the practice. And that is why we have outlawed it.

The report on the chairmanship activities of the Republic of Serbia also outlines the pro-active co-operation we encouraged between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I addressed the PACE and its bodies three times – in May, June and October – emphasising each time the importance the Committee of Ministers places in exchanging views with the Assembly.

In this context, the celebration of European Heritage Days in Serbia was enhanced by the fact that the Subcommittee on the Cultural Heritage of the PACE Committee on Culture, Science and Education held a meeting in Belgrade. Also, late October saw the Subcommittee on Refugees hold an extended hearing – in the form of a conference – on the topic of durable solutions for Roma refugees, IDPs and returnees in the Balkans.

Lastly, I would like to single out the value of the numerous meetings I had in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr René van der Linden. I use this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge his championing of the importance of co‑ordinating the activities of the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, and to thank him for his generous support of the priorities and efforts of the Serbian Chairmanship.

I would also like to thank the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of the Europe, Mrs Maud de Boer‑Buquicchio, as well as Mr Dennis Huber, the Special Representative of the Secretary General in Serbia and Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade. Your support was critical to the success of our chairmanship. Thank you both once again.

And last but by no means least, Mr Terry Davis. Thank you for your help, encouragement, support, and, above all, your leadership. I want to single out one particular event that symbolises the partnership he helped strengthen between the Council of Europe and the Republic of Serbia. On the occasion of the European Flag Day – 21 September – Mr Davis took part in a flag raising ceremony. For the first time, the flag of Europe stood alongside the flag of the Republic of Serbia. This image will stick in my mind for many years as a symbol of Serbia and Europe in dynamic motion – moving united towards the future.

Before concluding, I wish to address you in my capacity as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Serbia.

Recent history serves as a reminder of what can happen when the Western Balkans lose sight of the way forward: the promised peace dividend of the implosion of communism almost two decades ago materialised in the Western Balkans only after a tragic decade of conflict and civil war in which so many Europeans needlessly perished.

In post-conflict and post-communist societies such as those of the Western Balkans, the march towards European integration enables all the region’s countries to implement true, genuine reconciliation.

Reconciliation is most of all about telling the truth – the unadorned, factual, horrible truth of the bloodshed that must never return to our lands. That is why the Republic of Serbia remains dedicated to fully co‑operating with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. We will locate, arrest, and hand over the few Hague indictees still at large.

Now, as we all know, the Western Balkans has accomplished much over the past few years. We are all witnesses to the achievements of the region’s great democratic leap forward. Yet one major obstacle remains to the consolidation of our gains. That obstacle is the current impasse in the effort to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to the future status of Kosovo and Metohija. For the past few months, Belgrade and Pristina have been engaged in a process, facilitated by the Contact Group Troika, meant to determine what it will be. How the future status is resolved will determine the course of the Western Balkans.

At issue is the European future of the last unintegrated corner of Europe.

All the stakeholders in the process of determining Kosovo’s future status of Serbia’s southern province of Kosovo and Metohija have a choice to make: the choice to truly commit to forging a negotiated, compromise solution.

This means, first and foremost, that all the parties to the talks must embrace the view that there is nothing more important than reaching an agreement acceptable to all. Imposing hard deadlines on the future status process is not conducive to producing such an agreement.

The reason is elementary. As you know, 10 December has been set as a deadline. And some key participants in the process are telling Belgrade and Pristina that Kosovo’s independence will be imposed if no agreement is reached by then – a very un-European course of action leading to an outcome that is really no solution at all. For it promotes the interests of one side: the Kosovo Albanians. Put yourself in their shoes: with a set deadline and a default position that fulfils its maximalist demands, what incentive does Pristina have to negotiate in good faith? Why not just sit back, appear engaged, and simply let the clock tick?

The way out of this looming crisis lies in viewing the 10 December deadline as a marker for assessing progress, and nothing more. By re-defining the significance of this date, an environment would be created, for the first time, in which an historic settlement can be crafted that truly benefits both sides and the entire region. It’s the only way to avoid freezing this conflict – the only way to prevent creating a victor and a vanquished in a region where the loser spends the next generation plotting revenge on the winner. It’s the only way to overcome the spiral of violence, and to once and for all bring Serbs and Albanians together under the banner of Europe.

Kosovo’s status must be solved in a European manner, on the basis of European values, and using European ways of problem solving that have made Europe into the reconciler of nations that rejects the nationalistic passions of the past.

Kosovo is a European problem. Together we must come to a European solution – to a solution that advances the cause of Europe in the Balkans.

But Europe cannot move forward on this issue without imagination, because where there is no imagination, there is no vision. Yet Europe itself is the product of a great vision – of a grand idea – brought into existence through bold, imaginative political steps achieved with patience and through consensus

Boldness, imagination and consensus. And patience. With patience, opportunities will come. And they will multiply as they are seized.

And then we work with a determination born of the knowledge that our purpose will succeed: finding a European solution to Kosovo’s future status.

Such a solution is within our grasp: for as President Tadic recently put it, the European principle of subsidiarity provides the solution to the age-old tension between the communal and the sovereign, through a commitment to a common future and the employment of tools such as trust and co-operation, patience and compromise, consensus and creativity. Together, we can save democracy in the Western Balkans.

For our part, Serbia believes that the European solution to Kosovo’s future status lies in constructing a uniquely crafted partnership for the future under one common sovereign roof. An edifice so constructed could have more than one entrance, but as I’m sure you understand, a common sovereign roof can’t be built over two separate buildings.

That is why Serbia has offered institutionally unrestrained autonomy – extraordinarily broad powers of self‑governance – to the Kosovo Albanians, that at the same time preserves our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The late Zoran Djindjic once said that “when they speak positively about us, they call us South-East Europe; and when they don’t, we’re just the Balkans.”

I believe that if all stakeholders genuinely commit to a negotiated, compromise solution to Kosovo’s future status, a framework would be created within which our region could reinvent itself as a dynamic, secure and prosperous part of the European construction. The Western Balkans would be transformed into South-East Europe, so to speak. And both Europe and the region would accelerate building on the tremendous democratic gains made since the democratic overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000.

Committing to a negotiated, compromise solution to Kosovo’s future status would propel our region’s democracies past the point of no reversal. Such a commitment would, in essence, constitute a victory over the past, by obliging the region to work together to consolidate a shared, European future.

Such a commitment would, in brief, constitute the elixir for a transformative European future.”

The Representative of Bulgaria made the following statement:

“On behalf of the delegations of the member countries of the South-East European Co-operation Process, I would like to extend our warmest gratitude to the Serbian Chairmanship for its efficiency and its total commitment to promoting the Council of Europe’s values and priorities. It became fully involved by participating at the highest level in Council of Europe priority activities such as the Forum on the Future of Democracy, the European Day against the Death Penalty, the Conference of Ministers of Justice, the 2nd and 4th parts of the Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly this year and the second Summer University of Democracy.

We welcome the efforts the Serbian Chairmanship has made to publicise the Council of Europe’s role in our region and the emphasis it has placed on developing regional co-operation and consolidating regional democracy and cohesion. We also welcome the contribution it has made to promoting the Council of Europe’s values by holding regional events aimed at strengthening democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights: the conference on the role of supreme courts in implementing the European Convention on Human Rights, the seminar on action against human trafficking, the 1000th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies, the conference on the difficult situation of displaced persons and refugees, in particular Roma and Travellers and, very recently, the Informal Conference of Ministers of Culture on Promoting Intercultural Dialogue and the White Paper, to name but a few.

We also wish to stress the chairmanship’s determination to find a solution for Kosovo which will be acceptable to all the parties involved and not slow down the process of democratisation and peace in the region.

We would especially like to underline the importance of the exchange of views between the Ministers’ Deputies’ Group of Rapporteurs on External Relations and the Secretary General of the Regional Co‑operation Council, which focused on co-operation between the two organisations and their two parliamentary assemblies on key subjects such as support for democratic reforms, the consolidation of democratic structures, transfrontier co-operation or the region’s European prospects. We welcome the initiatives and activities designed to promote closer and mutually profitable co-operation with other international organisations and especially with the European Union, the OSCE, the UN and UNESCO by seeking interaction and avoiding the duplication of activities

And to save time and not take the floor a second time, I would like to express my delegation’s full support for the priorities of the Slovak Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, which are based on the fundamental values of our Organisation and which, we firmly believe, will guarantee that there is continuity between the chairmanships in achieving our common objectives.”

The Representative of Hungary made the following statement:

“I would like to congratulate Serbia for the way they accomplished their chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on the content and substance too.

I would like to abstain from enumerating the valuable programmes, the long list of very excellent initiatives and substantive results of your chairmanship simply because the list would be too long and would take away the floor from the others.  I would like to emphasise one particular point: the attitude that accompanied the conduct of the entire chairmanship of Serbia.  This attitude that we highly appreciate is that your chairmanship managed to keep separately your national agenda from that of the chairmanship of the Council of Europe.  Hungary is aware, believe me, how difficult it might have been sometimes to handle the questions related to Kosovo – a political issue very high on our agenda, and the first one on your national one – in a very distinguished manner.  This attitude, we think, shows a very high profile and ability of your chairmanship and also the ability and profile of your Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe to whom I would like to convey the most sincere congratulations on behalf of my predecessor and me.”

The Representative of Portugal made the following statement:

“Acting on behalf of the Presidency of the European Union, first of all I would like to congratulate the Government of the Republic of Serbia for their recent signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.  This means one further step towards European integration and regional stability in the Balkans area.

Secondly, I would like to highlight some of the achievements during your chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, namely the appointment by the Committee of Ministers of an independent person and his alternate to sit on the organs of the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency.  It was a very important decision, contributing significantly to the concrete implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two institutions.  The efforts made to strengthen the role of the Commissioner for Human Rights and, of course, the proclamation of the European Day against the Death Penalty in Lisbon during the conference organised by the Portuguese Presidency.  That could contribute to create in Europe a death penalty free zone.  And I agree with you: death is not justice.

It was also during your chairmanship which coincided partially with the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union that the first Quadripartite meeting after the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding took place.  I welcome the fact that the tradition to have conclusions was resumed on that occasion.

Finally, I would like to add that the White Paper on intercultural dialogue was presented during your chairmanship.  We look forward to the discussions on the text that are still to be finalised since we consider this to be a very significant follow-up to the San Marino Chairmanship’s priorities in order to fulfil the core values of this Organisation: democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”

The Representative of Norway made the following statement:

“First of all, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Foreign Minister of Serbia, Mr Jeremić, for his report on Serbia’s Chairmanship, and indeed for his active leadership in this period.

In Norway’s view, the Serbian Chairmanship has contributed substantially to strengthening the Council of Europe’s work to promote the core values of our Organisation, good governance, human rights and the rule of law. We appreciate that the Republic of Serbia in the political programme of their chairmanship gave explicit priority to promoting these goals, thereby sending a clear signal of Serbia’s own intentions and priorities, not only in their work in the Council of Europe, but also in a wider European and international context.

This message from Serbia is clearly understood and appreciated.

Furthermore, Norway supports and shares Serbia’s efforts to promote co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union. We note with satisfaction that Serbia has actively followed up the Memorandum of Understanding, and we support stronger co-operation between the two organisations.  We are pleased that it was possible to reach an agreement with the EU on co-operation with the new Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna. As a further important step, we welcome the intention of the EU to adhere to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Like Serbia, Norway gives high priority to strengthening democracy at local and regional level. We appreciate the Serbian Chairmanship’s initiatives to strengthen regional co-operation in the Balkan region, and Serbia’s ratification of the European Charter on Local Self-Government. Norway would also like to extend our thanks to the Serbian Government for its participation on a political level at the conference on cross-boundary co‑operation in Tromsø in June this year.

The will to be involved on a political level at so many occasions throughout its presidency is a clear token of the Serbian Government’s dedication to the pan-European co-operation in the Council of Europe. As a strong supporter of the Council of Europe, Norway appreciates this attitude by Serbia, which many can learn from.

May I finally, Mr Chairman, pay tribute to the Permanent Representative of Serbia to the Council of Europe, Ms Sladjana Prica, who has worked tirelessly for her country, and who is admired by us all for her achievements.”

Mr N. Daag, Deputy Director General, Head of the Department for Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Sweden made the following statement:

“First I would like to align myself with the statement made by Portugal on behalf of the EU Presidency.

Let me start by stressing the importance of the core objectives of the Council of Europe: the promotion and protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The Council of Europe has a central role to play also in the years to come.

I would like to thank Foreign Minister Jeremić, Ambassador Prica and the Serbian team for an active and well managed chairmanship during the past six months. The Serbian Chairmanship has been marked by important events which has brought the agenda forward in key areas.

I would especially like to mention the constructive engagement in bringing the agenda for democracy forward.  Minister Jeremić’s speech at the Forum for the Future of Democracy in Sweden in June underlined the interdependence between the core values. We note Serbia's special support for the youth-oriented Schools of Political Studies. We also appreciate the importance given to civil society and NGOs.  The proclamation of a European Day against the Death Penalty was an important contribution to progress in this field. And last but not least, the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.”

The Representative of San Marino made the following statement:

“I would like to thank and congratulate the Serbian Chairmanship for the expertise, skill, wisdom, courage and tenacity shown over the last six months.  These qualities have been in evidence in areas such as intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity, the championing of women's and children's rights and the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and the Council of Europe (in application of the Juncker report recommendations).  And those are but a few examples.  All the qualities I have mentioned have truly shone through in the work of Ambassador Sladjana Prica: in both professional and human terms, she has always managed to keep smiling and find solutions, even when the workload was enormous and the questions on the table were thorny and delicate ones.  My thanks go to her and all her team for their remarkable work for our common good.

I think we must all be very grateful to the Serbian Chairmanship for following up the efforts of the previous chairs so well and giving fresh impetus to the Organisation's activities.

I would like to take the opportunity to also wish Slovakia every success for the six months of its chairmanship beginning today.  The Slovakian authorities know that my country will always be willing to co-operate with them in the very difficult task that lies ahead.  I would like to thank them for the document on the priorities of their chairmanship which, I am sure, will be crowned with success.”

The Representative of Armenia made the following statement:

“First of all, I would like to thank the outgoing chairmanship, the Republic of Serbia, for its contribution to our Committee’s work and for carrying out its programme of activities in accordance with the priorities it had set itself; the Republic of Serbia has, once again, shown that a new member state is capable of fully and efficiently assuming the responsibilities of the chairmanship of this pan-European international organisation. 

The programme was an ambitious one, as can be seen from the list of events presented to us.  We are grateful to the Serbian Chairmanship for emphasising the importance of regional co-operation and the reconciliation process in strengthening peace and stability in Europe.

Then there was the very symbolic celebration in Belgrade of the Ministers’ Deputies 1000th meeting and the warm welcome you gave us on that occasion.

During your chairmanship, it must be underlined, the Council of Europe held the human rights banner high by establishing the European Day against the Death Penalty.

We also wish to express our appreciation of the outcome of the Council of Europe/European Union quadripartite meeting. You clearly voiced the expectations of the Council of Europe member states taking part in the European Neighbourhood Policy.

And last, but not least, I would like to mention the special attention your chairmanship gave to fostering intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity.

These are achievements you can be proud of and which will undeniably have helped further the common objectives of our Organisation. And for that, we are all indebted to you.”

The Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina made the following statement:

“I would like to congratulate Serbia on their successful six-month chairmanship and I would like to thank Minister Jeremić and Ambassador Prica for their co-operation.  I would also like to congratulate Serbia for initialling the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.

Regarding the Kosovo and Metohija issue, Bosnia and Herzegovina has supported UN Resolution 1244 from the very beginning and will support any agreement in relation to Belgrade and Pristina that will be acceptable for both sides.

I would like to wish all the best to the Slovakian delegation for their coming chairmanship and I am convinced that Slovakia will be very successful also.”

The Representative of Cyprus made the following statement:

“I would like to congratulate the Serbian Chairmanship for the excellent work done, which contributed to further advancing the mission of our Organisation. Your chairmanship, at a critical juncture, achieved significant promotion of the core values and principles governing the Council of Europe. Not only was the European flag raised in Belgrade during this period, but Serbia was also raised and proved to be a genuine European partner.

Finally, I would like to warmly congratulate our Chairperson, Sladjana Prica, for the excellent leadership exhibited during this period, which led us to a successful conclusion of a remarkable chairmanship.

I would also like to take this opportunity and congratulate the incoming chairmanship, Slovakia, and wish it every success. Cyprus stands ready to assist the new chair and contribute towards a successful chairmanship, which will further advance the achievements of the Council of Europe.”

Mr A. Grushko, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, made the following statement:

“To begin with, I would like to express to the Serbian side, that concludes today its six-month stay at the steering wheel of the Committee of Ministers of our Organisation, our gratitude for its efforts to work out and put into practice the programme of the chairmanship.  In our view it was intensive and interesting.  The Serbian Chairmanship succeeded in putting forward and expanding many of the priority fields of action of the Council of Europe, including those based on the decisions of the Third Summit. 

 

It was especially pleasant for us to see our Serbian colleagues continue and creatively explore many results of the recent Russian Chairmanship, thus securing the necessary and important continuity in the work of the Committee of Ministers.  We cannot but mention the useful assistance given to Serbia in the course of these six months by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Terry Davis, and his colleagues from the Secretariat. 

I would like to say that it was a very clear, visible and substantive contribution to the work of the Council in all fields provided in the Statue and for the sake of achieving European unity.  This is, to our mind, the condition for the effectiveness – political and institutional – and value of the Organisation in the present day Europe.

Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to draw the attention of all delegations to Mr Jeremić’s statement on Kosovo.  The Council of Europe is not directly involved in the political process, but very soon Kosovo will become an ultimate test for our common commitment, the commitment of each and every state, the commitment of the Council of Europe as such to international law, and to our common goal – building a Europe without dividing lines.  We strongly believe that in this very important matter, which will affect the security of Europe, the Council of Europe will speak with one voice.”

Item 1.3

Presentation of the priorities of the incoming chairmanship of the Slovak Republic

Mr J. Kubiš, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, made the following statement:

“Let me start by congratulating my colleague, Minister Jeremić, and Serbia for the excellent work done under the Serbian Chairmanship of the Council of Europe over the last six months.  I would like to thank the delegation of Serbia in Strasbourg for their good co-operation and leadership.

Being a member of the Council of Europe for more than 14 years, Slovakia has had the chance to profit from its expertise, support and help since 1993.  Hard and continuous work in applying the values of the Council of Europe and implementing our commitments entered into upon accession also helped us, among others, on our way to the EU.

Today, 12 November 2007, represents a historic moment for my country again.  Slovakia shall for the first time ever preside over the Committee of Ministers.  We consider this moment not only a great honour, but also an important commitment.

Building on what has already been done, Slovakia shall pursue its task with the aim of implementing the goals of the Organisation as agreed by the member states at the Third Summit of the Council of Europe and build upon the achievements of previous chairmanships.  On the basis of these priorities and Council of Europe norms, obligations and principles, we will always serve in order to promote and broaden unity among the member states.

Within this framework, Slovakia will particularly focus on the following broad priorities:

-           promoting a citizens’ Europe;

-           a transparent and efficient Council of Europe;

-           respect for and promotion of core values: human rights, rule of law and democracy.

Since Slovakia recognises the importance of citizens’ participation and the advantage of mutual dialogue and co‑operation, our intention is to support the development of civil society and efforts to get the “international community” closer to its citizens.  We believe that the Council of Europe’s openness to civil society reflected in its recent activities, including the establishment and work of the Forum for the Future of Democracy, could contribute to this goal.

Secondly, the Slovak Chairmanship will strive to strengthen co-ordination and co-operation of the Council of Europe with other international partners, particularly the EU, UN and OSCE.  We shall work at limiting unhealthy parallelism in areas of common interest.

From this perspective, we welcome the framework for enhanced co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU.  Bearing in mind the conclusions of the 25th Quadripartite meeting that include the first assessment of its functioning and further possibilities for the future, we shall monitor and pursue

implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding in order to present a comprehensive review at the 118th Session of the Committee of Ministers.

Slovakia also supports co-operation of the UN and the Council of Europe as a regional organisation, which promotes the universally recognised values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.  Taking advantage of our membership of the UN Security Council for the past two years and our ambition to get a seat in the Human Rights Council for the period 2008 to 2011, we shall actively work on the elaboration of another resolution on co-operation.

Last but not least, the Slovak Chairmanship shall pay close attention to the enhanced co-operation with the OSCE.  We shall support and promote synergies, particularly in and through activities and operations on the ground, exchange of information and organisation of joint events.

Coming back to the Organisation itself, Slovakia acknowledges that the consolidation of the system of human rights protection represents the necessary precondition for its effective functioning.  We shall therefore support the ongoing work aimed at strengthening the system as provided for in several Committee of Ministers’ decisions.

Though no protocol will help unless national judicial systems function properly, at this point, I still want to reiterate the determination of all of us to secure the long-term effectiveness of the unique protection system of the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly the Court.  At this point, I would also like to recall the significant efficiency and capacity increases that Protocol No. 14 to the Convention would introduce.  Finally, I call for its ratification again.

In an attempt to bring together key actors to discuss the issues related to these topics, we will host a meeting of governments’ agents before the European Court of Human Rights in Bratislava, early 2008.

The Slovak Chairmanship is fully aware of the fact that the question of resources (especially financial sources) is crucial and at the same time very sensitive at international as well as at national level.  We consider it important that the funds of the Council of Europe are being used as effectively as possible.  Core values, activities and the effective functioning of the European Court of Human Rights must be given priority.

This is of great importance as all of us have issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms.  Even membership in the Council of Europe sometimes does not prevent cases of such violations.  We will support efforts to reveal and correct such violations, wherever they occur.

The Slovak Chairmanship shall focus on promoting security and stability, particularly in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe.  To this end, we shall give support to all respective Council of Europe programmes and activities.  Support for democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Kosovo will be a genuine part of such a policy.  In this respect, I personally intend to visit some countries of the above-mentioned regions.

Would Belarus ever be one of them?  Here I do not have a response – it is not so much a matter of the Council of Europe strategy but of the approach of the country and its representatives.  Our chairmanship shall try to attract the attention of the Belarusian authorities to the Council of Europe and its values.  Based on the Council of Europe’s policies and norms, and in co-operation with the EU and the OSCE, we want to explore possibilities for dialogue and interaction with representatives of the government and civil society.  I hope to have your support in this.

During our chairmanship we will celebrate 10 years of the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities.  Remembering that Slovakia actively participated in the elaboration of the Framework Convention and was amongst the first countries to ratify it, on the occasion of the anniversary we reaffirm our commitment to the concept of international protection of national minorities based on the individual rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

Then there is also the Roma and Sinti minority that deserves our particular attention.  Roma often face discrimination, racial prejudice or negative stereotypes.  Problems related to education, social policy, housing still persist.  Slovakia highly values the Council of Europe efforts in this area aimed at improving the situation of Roma people.  We would like to see and assist an expansion of these efforts.  During our chairmanship, we intend to convene an international conference focused on the education of Roma children and youth in Slovakia in April 2008, under the aegis of the Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia.”

Mr N. Daag, Deputy Director General, Head of the Department for Security Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden made the following statement:

“Slovakia will now carry the torch. I would like to convey warm greetings from the Swedish Foreign Minister, Mr Carl Bildt, to Minister Kubiš.

Sweden will also, as vice-chair of the Committee, give full support to and work closely with the Slovak Chairmanship.

I welcome the clear focus on a continued follow-up of the Warsaw Summit’s priorities: respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. This will also be the main thrust of the Swedish Chairmanship.

The work is far from finished. We are today reminded of the need for free and fair democratic elections, where all parties have full and equal opportunities to meet and to express their views. It is more important than ever to respect established international practices for observation of elections.

Guaranteeing the long-term effectiveness of the Convention system is a key priority for the Committee of Ministers. It is essential to pursue reforms of the Court and the monitoring bodies in order to achieve coherence but also to provide member states with appropriate rule of law assistance. A precondition for reforms of the implementation of the Convention is, however, the entering into force of Protocol No. 14 as the main instrument to create better efficiency in the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Ratification of this instrument is therefore of utmost importance.

In order to foster democracy, Slovakia is emphasising the role of civil society, including at regional and local level. This approach follows from the notion that there can be no strong democracy without a strong civil society.

I would like to express support for the importance Slovakia gives to co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU as well as other international organisations like the OSCE. We also share the interest in promoting democratic reforms in Belarus, which is fully in line with the decision of the Warsaw Summit.

Let me finally reiterate Sweden’s full support for the incoming chairmanship. My government will pursue the same priorities in order to strengthen the core objectives of the Council of Europe.”

The Representative of Liechtenstein made the following statement:

“Liechtenstein continuously and repeatedly expressed its view to the former Czechoslovakia that the confiscation of Liechtenstein property as the property of persons of “German ethnicity” pursuant to the Benes decrees constituted an unacceptable violation of international law.

So far, neither the Czech Republic nor the Slovak Republic has confirmed the recognition of Liechtenstein undertaken in 1938.  These states have also not been willing to resolve the dispute before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The independence of the two successor states of Czechoslovakia entailed that they had to (re)apply for admission to the international bodies of which Czechoslovakia had already been a member prior to its dissolution.

In parallel with its bilateral approach, the Liechtenstein Government also undertook within international organisations to draw attention in an appropriate way to the open questions surrounding Liechtenstein’s relationship with the Czech and Slovak Republics, already prior to the partition of Czechoslovakia and especially afterwards.

The admission of the two states to the Council of Europe was carried out by way of an accelerated procedure, in which – for the first time in the history of the Council of Europe – two member states abstained in the vote on admission, namely Hungary with respect to the Slovak Republic and Liechtenstein with respect to the Czech Republic.  In doing so, Liechtenstein reiterated its position that normalisation of bilateral relationships could not be possible as long as the two new governments adhered to decisions negating the sovereignty of Liechtenstein, and as long as they refused to treat Liechtenstein the same as other states.  As a result, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted a directive calling upon the candidates for admission to adhere to the assurances made upon admission.  The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic committed themselves to clarifying all open questions surrounding their relations with the member states of the Council of Europe through dialogue and negotiations.

Liechtenstein made interventions in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 29 June 1993 and on the occasion of the resolution to admit the two successor states of Czechoslovakia into the Council of Europe on 30 June 1993.  In the Committee of Ministers, which decides on the admission of new members to the Council of Europe on the basis of a positive recommendation by the Parliamentary Assembly, Liechtenstein did not oppose the admission of the two states.  Rather, Liechtenstein abstained.  In September 1997, the Liechtenstein delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly carried an amendment drawing attention to the fact that membership of the Council of Europe also entails the willingness to clarify all open questions in relations with member states through dialogue and negotiations.

The Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein continues to maintain its position concerning the unlawfulness under international law of the expropriation of Liechtenstein property in the former Czechoslovakia and, on the occasion of the assumption of the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe by the Slovak Republic, expresses its desire that a solution be found regarding the still open international legal questions surrounding the bilateral relations of the two countries with Liechtenstein.”

The Representative of Armenia made the following statement:

“First of all I would like to wish much success to the Slovak Republic, which is today taking over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

In presenting your priorities, you described Slovakia’s personal experience of European integration and the role played by the Council of Europe; in many ways, it is an excellent example of the major contribution the Council makes to the development of democracy and to ensuring that our fundamental values are firmly rooted in Europe. 

These priorities clearly guarantee the continuity of the action taken by the chairmanships which went before you and are in keeping with the guidelines set at the Warsaw Summit; they obviously require and deserve our support. This applies in particular to the strengthening of the Council of Europe’s system for the

protection of human rights and its activities in the field of intercultural dialogue which fit in with the EU initiative to make 2008 the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

Our delegation attaches particular importance to the theme of citizen participation, which has been highlighted by your chairmanship; this theme will also be the key subject of the session of the Forum which Armenia intends to hold in 2010 and our delegation will therefore follow all the activities carried out in this sphere during your chairmanship with close interest.

The same applies to the evaluation which will have to be made of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union.

Your priorities also acknowledge the full importance of history, in particular the prevention of tragedies which have marked European history; we will give our full support to any initiatives you take in this field.

Finally, with regard to the functioning of the Organisation, our delegation agrees with the Slovak Chairmanship that efficient use must be made of the Council’s financial resources but not at the expense of the Programme of Activities.

As you take up office, we wish you to know that you can count on the full support of our delegation to help you achieve your goals.”

The Representative of Finland made the following statement:

“As I did not take the floor previously today, I would like to, if you allow me to, Mr Chairman, to express the sincere thanks of this delegation to the Serbian Chairmanship for their very good, effective and pleasant chairmanship.

At the same time we congratulate and welcome the Slovak Chairmanship and would like to vouch for our willingness to actively co-operate in every way possible.

To be brief as you wished, I would like to draw attention to one thing only, mentioned by yourself, Mr Chairman. Finland will be the next chair of the OSCE from the beginning of January next year. We therefore greatly appreciate it that the Slovak Chairmanship of the Council of Europe has included co-operation between the two organisations in their priorities. We, on our side, will definitely be ready to enhance the mutual exchange of information and to co-ordinate activities in the areas of common interest, which include such important areas as the fight against terrorism, the fight against trafficking, protection of national minorities and non-discrimination.”

The Representative of Norway made the following statement:

“I would like to thank you for the presentation of the political programme of the Slovakian Chairmanship. Norway sees this as a courageous programme, with a perspective of increased openness and participation of civil society, which are both dimensions that should be strengthened in order to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.

 

Your programme shows a strong commitment to increased transparency and the reform of our Organisation. This is strongly supported by Norway, and it was one of the priorities of our political programme when we chaired the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2004.

Likewise, stronger participation from civil society is a dimension which should be strengthened in our Organisation.

In your programme you also prioritise combating discrimination and the protection of national minorities. These are two of the four areas that we singled out for closer co-operation between the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and Norway strongly supports closer co-operation between these two organisations. I refer in this regard to the recent election of the former Foreign Minister of Norway, Knut Vollebæk, as an OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. With your background, as former Secretary General of the OSCE, we are sure that new progress will be made to strengthen co-operation between the two organisations.

I would like to assure you of Norway’s full support and co-operation during your chairmanship.”

The Representative of Hungary made the following statement:

“Slovakia and Hungary share a very similar view on the role the Council of Europe played in the consolidation of democracy in our respective states, and also in the process of the accession to the EU by these two countries. I am convinced that our common perception on the Council of Europe’s role in its member states as well as among the other international institutions offers a solid basis for working together for a more transparent and efficient Council of Europe and for strengthening its system for human rights protection.

You mentioned the important role that the values of the Council of Europe and their implementation played in your recent history. On this basis, it is not only understandable but most welcome that you attach high importance to the respect and promotion of the core values of the Organisation, among them the norms related to the protection of national minorities. Your chairmanship programme in this field is extremely rich. You emphasised the double anniversary of the entering into force of the two legally-binding treaties related to the protection of national minorities. It offers an excellent possibility for taking stock of where we are and explore avenues for further development in this field. We appreciate the number of initiatives you put forward in your chairmanship agenda. In the course of their implementation, we suggest acting in a pragmatic manner instead of eventually entering into theoretical debate on the character of the rights our conventions for the protection of national minorities enshrine. I fully share your view on the importance and role of DH-MIN in this respect.

The previous Committee of Ministers’ chairmanships paved the way for further strengthening co-operation between the Council of Europe and the EU. Results in this respect are due to come during your chairmanship, too. We look forward to the overview of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding that you will submit for the next Ministerial Session.

 

Lastly, I would like to wish much success to your chairmanship in the accomplishment of the tasks and I offer the full support of this delegation to this end.”

The Representative of Portugal made the following statement:

“First of all I would like to thank you for the presentation of the Slovakian Chairmanship to the Committee of Ministers and also mention the welcome commitment of the Slovakian Chairmanship to the core values of the Council of Europe, particularly emphasising the citizens’ participation and the emphasis on the role of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the will to continue the further co-operation of the Council of Europe with the other international organisations, the EU, OSCE and the UN.  This constitutes the best way to strengthen synergies between these organisations in order to avoid duplication of efforts. 

We also welcome your commitment to the organisation of the fourth edition of the Forum for the Future of Democracy and the continuation of discussions on the draft White Paper on intercultural dialogue.  In terms of the co-operation between the European Union, as you mentioned to enhance this co-operation with the

Council of Europe, we would like to mention the results of the last Quadripartite meeting.  This is the framework for this co-operation.  In this regard, we note also with appreciation the priority given to the follow‑up to the recommendations of the Juncker report.

Finally, on the protection of human rights, we attach a great importance to the entry into force of Protocol No. 14 and the need to reinforce the means and resources of the European Court of Human Rights, as the way to strengthen human rights protection, a unique system in Europe.  We know we can count on you during your chairmanship.”

Mr A. Grushko, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, made the following statement:

“First of all, I would like to associate myself with all those who have taken the floor before me and wish our Slovak partners good luck in the coming months and the support of all member states of the Council of Europe. 

The transfer of chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in the Council of Europe means the beginning of a new stage in the life of our Organisation. It is another important landmark and it is also a reason to lay an emphasis on basic issues like how to use the potential of this Organisation most effectively and what are the strategic goals of this Organisation. 

In this context, I would like to confirm once again that we consider the Council of Europe as a generator of multilateral and multidimensional co-operation, with a special focus on the fight against new challenges like terrorism and organised crime.  It is also very important to provide for a broad accession of all member states to the Council of Europe conventions opened for signature at the Third Summit. 

On the European common legal space.  There is no doubt that the formation of the European legal space is a task for all of us and this task cannot be implemented in one day.  It is possible as well that we will never be able to fulfil this task because, in our ever‑changing world, new problems and challenges demanding a common legal reaction will arise.  Some problems however require an urgent, multilateral and legally-fixed approach.  Among these most pressing problems are intolerance and xenophobia in Europe, lack of respect of rights of national minorities in a number of states. This is not just a matter of our collective concern. This is a matter that requires our specific action and we consider the Committee of Ministers to be a quite appropriate ground for taking such action.

We note the positive dynamics in the efforts undertaken by the Council of Europe in the field of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue.  We welcome the progress in the work on the White Paper which became constructive and substantial in its final stages. 

We welcome further development of the co-operation between the Council of Europe and other international institutions and organisations, the UN, OSCE and the EU, and in particular the intention of our Slovak colleagues to contribute to the improvement of the quality of this co-operation while avoiding unhealthy parallelism.

As for co-operation with the UN, the results of the last meeting of the Co-ordination Group seem satisfactory.  On our doorstep we have the renewal of the document on co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations.  Its thorough preparations require new ideas and approaches.  As far as we know, Slovakia intends to pay due attention to that issue.

We are ready for a common action with our partners in order to implement the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union.  I strongly hope that European Union solidarity won’t become an obstacle to a full-scale application of monitoring mechanisms and use of

Council of Europe institutions across the whole Europe. Otherwise the future demand for the Council of Europe as an established pan-European organisation is going to be brought into question.

Concerning Protocol No. 14, even in the situation when we are facing forthcoming elections to the Duma, it is still on the agenda, but yet we think that Protocol No. 14 should not be considered as the only way to improve the work of the Court. 

Finally on Belarus, which was raised in the statement of the distinguished Minister, we believe that without Belarus the Council of Europe is incomplete.  Filling up this gap is in the interests of all of us.

I would like to wish every success to the Slovak Chairmanship and to guarantee it that in us you will find supporters of all your endeavours.”

The Secretary General made the following statement:

“I would first of all join everybody who has congratulated you on taking up this office and also express my appreciation of the work of Serbia during the previous six months.  I have prepared a statement evaluating the Serbian Chairmanship and explaining my hopes and expectations for the chairmanship by Slovakia, but to save time, I will circulate it instead of reading it.  I only want to add one personal comment, if I may.  A postscript which is addressed to you, Mr Kubiš: happy birthday!”