WELCOME BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU, PRESIDENT

OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL

OF EUROPE, FOR MR NICOLA GRUEVSKI, PRIME MINISTER OF “THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA”

(STRASBOURG, THURSDAY 7 OCTOBER 2010, NOON)

Dear Prime Minister,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our Chamber. Your presence with us today is yet further proof of the importance that your country attaches to the values and principles of the Council of Europe. This was demonstrated throughout your Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, with the visit of your President, Mr Ivanov, during the June part-session, and with the regular and very active presence of your Foreign Minister and Chairman-in-office of the Committee of Ministers, Mr Milososki.

Over the past years your country has made significant progress, both in political and economic terms, to meet the requirements for successful Euro-integration. Since the end of 2009, your country’s citizens have been enjoying visa-free travel within the Schengen zone and we hope that talks for EU membership will yield a positive result in the near future.

I am sure that your personal qualities and your experience as a politician, parliamentarian and financial expert have greatly contributed to this progress.

You are well aware, Prime Minister, that EU membership is intrinsically linked to the full abidance to the values and principles of the Council of Europe. The progress that your country has achieved has been reflected in the fact that the monitoring procedure was closed in 2000 and since then you have been in the post-monitoring stage. We look forward to receiving further positive signals, particularly with regard to building a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, pluralist and inclusive society, as well as strengthening parliamentary democracy.

You can be assured of our Assembly’s full support in all these endeavours.

Dear Prime Minister, you have the floor.