The Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, meeting in Paris on 12 January 2000, with Mr Mota Amaral in the Chair :

• Bulgaria (co-rapporteurs: MM Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG, and Gjellerod, Denmark, Soc): adopted a draft resolution and draft recommendation on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Bulgaria;

• Ukraine (co-rapporteurs: Mr Kelam, Estonia, EPP/CD, and Mrs Severinsen, Denmark, LDR):

considered the recent developments in Ukraine to be substantial progress in the sense of Resolution 1179 of June 1999, invited its Chairman to inform the President of the Assembly that the Committee agreed that the procedure referred to in paragraph 4 of that Resolution and aiming at suspending certain rights of members of the Ukrainian delegation should not be started at the first part of the 2000 Ordinary Session and authorised the co-rapporteurs to make a further fact-finding visit to the country;

• Russia (co-rapporteurs: MM. Bindig, Germany, Soc, and Muehlemann, Switzerland, LDR): heard a communication by Mr Atkinson, rapporteur of the ad hoc Committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Russia (19 December 1999);

• Moldova (co-rapporteurs: Mr Columberg, Switzerland, EPP/CD, and Mrs Durrieu, France, Soc) : heard statements by Mr Columberg and Mr Nedelciuc and took note of the opinion of the Venice Commission on the Constitutional reform in Moldova;

• Turkey (co-rapporteurs: MM Bársony, Hungary, Soc, and Hornhues, Germany EPP/CD): heard statements by MM. Bársony and Jansson, members of the Bureau's Ad hoc Committee to ensure the presence of the Assembly at the trial of Abdullah Öcalan, and agreed to ask the Bureau to change the reference of the motion for a recommendation on a political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey;

• Croatia (co-rapporteurs: Mr Jaskiernia, Poland, Soc, and Mrs Stoyanova, Bulgaria, EPP/CD): heard statements by the co-rapporteurs on the results of the parliamentary elections on 3 January 2000 and took note of the memorandum of the Venice Commission on progress in co-operation with the Croatian authorities;

 

• decided to hold its next meeting in Strasbourg during the next part-session of the Assembly (24-28 January 2000).