WELCOME BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU,

PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, TO MR SERGEY LAVROV,

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

(Thursday 29 April 2010, noon, Hemicycle)

Dear Minister,

It is a great privilege to welcome you in this chamber where, I hope, you feel very much at home. Not only because this is not your first visit here but, above all, as the Russian delegation to the Assembly is amongst the biggest and most active ones.

This is not a coincidence. There is a perfect correlation between the role that Russian representatives play in the Assembly and the Council of Europe as a whole, and the role that Russia plays at European level. We are all attached to the same fundamental values – peace, democracy, prosperity and human rights. We may not always have the same views on how to implement them, but we all know that progress is only possible on the basis of mutual respect, dialogue and common standards.

These principles represent precisely the mission of the Council of Europe and this is why in the Assembly we are so deeply attached to further strengthening our organisation. This would however be impossible without the personal involvement of the members of the Committee of Ministers. Your presence here today is a good example to follow and we look forward to hearing your ideas on the most important challenges that we have to face, and solve, together.