8th CONFERENCE OF THE SEECP SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENT,

Antalya, 5-8 June 2010

SPEECH BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU,
PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Monday 7 June, 3:00 pm

Dear President,

Dear Speaker,

Dear Colleagues,

I am extremely pleased and proud to see such an important Conference being held in my region and my constituency.

The South-East European Cooperation Process is an effective form of cooperation based on a powerful principle: the idea that our region must take its future in its own hands. That is, in my opinion, the strength of this organisation, which is growing more and more influential within and beyond our borders.

I hardly need to underline that the parliamentary dimension of this Process makes it more democratic and closer to the people of the member countries. I have been active for years in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which I have the honour to preside today, whose members come from 47 different countries. It is the largest European parliamentary forum and the only one representing the whole of Europe. But at the same time, Europe has a number of regional assemblies which correspond to specific situations and interests of different groups of states, such as the PABSEC (Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation), the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, the Nordic Council and several others, not to mention the European Parliament which originated as the parliamentary forum of a regional economic organisation.

Our Parliamentary Assembly has always been supportive of these regional initiatives, as we consider that all institutions, in particular international ones, must be as close as possible to those whose interests they represent.

Today, I can feel that the countries represented here are particularly close to each other, like members of the same family.

South-East European countries share deep and strong roots, centuries of cultural and economic interchange, and now their relationship is probably tighter than ever.

For me, we have started a new era. Our region has always had a particular importance for the destiny of the whole of Europe. It was in the heart of the Roman, the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. It was the region where the first World War started and unfortunately part of this region, former Yugoslavia, was also the place of the bloodiest conflict in Europe after the end of the Second World War. The Balkans and the rest of the South-East region are now the busiest “enlargement frontier” of the European Union. Two of the founding members of the SEECP, namely Bulgaria and Romania, are now members of the European Union, while others are officially candidates to accession. The future of the EU depends, to some extent, on the outcome of this process.

At present, a fortunate coincidence is giving our countries even more visibility and a more important role within Europe. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is currently under the Macedonian chairmanship, and in November this year, it will be Turkey’s turn to take the lead and, for six months, be at the helm of this Organisation.

My first months as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe show very clearly the importance I attach to South-Eastern Europe. I have made several official visits to the countries in this area: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro and our Assembly held meetings in Skopje just two weeks ago.

Some of these countries urgently need the assistance and support of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe as a whole, and during my visits I have always kept in mind our mission and the contribution that our Organisation can offer. In the last few months the Assembly has discussed and adopted important reports within the remit of the “Monitoring Committee”, which follow the commitments and obligations of member states. I can therefore say that South-Eastern Europe is not simply the object of my special interest, but also an important priority for the Assembly. We have been dealing with the situation in Moldova, trying to help solve the deadlock concerning the election of its President.

Since my visit to Albania with the leaders of the Assembly’s political groups last February, we have been working hard to encourage the opposition to return to Parliament.

The same goes for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which I have been following since 2006, first as a rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee and now as President. During my official visit there, I reiterated the message of the Assembly, which called on all political forces to engage in a dialogue and adopt the necessary constitutional changes.

I have already mentioned the importance of the European Union enlargement. Accession to the EU is a top priority for all South-East European countries which are not EU members. They may be at different stages of the admission process but one thing is common to all of them: their membership in the Council of Europe is a step on their way to the EU. By respecting and implementing the Council of Europe standards, they are getting closer to the EU membership. And the results are already there. Let me mention, in this connection, one issue which I consider fundamental to enhancing European cooperation and integration: the visa issue. During my recent visits to the region, I expressed my satisfaction that the visa-free regime has been introduced by several countries of the Western Balkans and I was very pleased to learn recently that the EU Commission recommended that visas for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania also be abolished. Freedom of movement of people in Europe is the absolute pre-condition for any further integration.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The South-East European region has a bright future ahead: the potential is there: we, politicians, have to make sure that this potential is fully developed.

The parliamentary cooperation in South-Eastern Europe has an important role to play in this direction. I can assure you that, should you decide to deepen your cooperation, you can count on the support of the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as my personal support.

And, in order to stress our close links of cooperation, I hope that many of the Presidents of Parliaments present here will join me at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments, organized by PACE in Limassol at the end of this week.

Thank you for your attention.