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

FOR MR AHMET DAVUTOĞLU,

MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF TURKEY

(STRASBOURG, WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2010)

Dear Chairman, ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly, I wish to express our satisfaction with the priorities of the Turkish Chairmanship. They respond to the challenges that our Organisation is facing at a crucial moment of its existence. The priorities of our Assembly go in the same direction. I am therefore confident that the two statutory organs of the Council of Europe will continue to cooperate most efficiently.

Mr Chairman, I entirely agree with you that we need to devote a great deal of positive energy towards the successful reform of the Organisation. The Assembly fully supports this process and is itself working on its own reform, which will be presented to the Assembly next January.

The Assembly is also ready to contribute to the follow-up to the Interlaken process on the reform of the European Court on Human Rights, in order to ensure that the High Level Conference which will take place in Izmir next April brings efficient solutions.

Mr Chairman, your intention to contribute to strengthening the monitoring mechanisms of the Organisation is more than welcome by the Assembly, since our own monitoring mechanisms are inter-related and complementary to the other existing mechanisms. This can only make our action stronger and more relevant.

Another priority of the Turkish Chairmanship, the accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights, is also an Assembly priority. Our attention is focused primarily on the modalities under which the European Parliament will participate in the process of electing judges to the Court.

Mr Chairman, the emphasis that you are putting on the issue of inter-cultural dialogue is necessary and timely. We shall be following with great attention the work of the “Group of Eminent Persons” created at the initiative of the Secretary General and Turkey. The contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly on this topic will be a major debate on the religious dimension of inter-cultural dialogue which we shall organise during our April 2011 part-session.

Last but not least, I hope that the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly will continue to join efforts in order to assist countries experiencing major political problems, as well as to bring our neighbouring non-member countries closer to the Council of Europe.

Mr Chairman, may I wish you every success in your difficult but gratifying task. Please be assured of the Assembly’s support.