FOR THE ATTENTION OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE HONOURING OF OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS BY MEMBER STATES

Office of the Clerk

Synopsis N° 2000/025

24 January 2000

The Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, meeting in Strasbourg on 24, 26 and 27 January 2000, with Mr Mota Amaral in the Chair :

• elected by acclamation Mr Mota Amaral (Portugal, EPP/CD) Chairman and Mr Sole Tura (Spain, SOC), Mr Sinka (Latvia, EDG) and Mrs Severinsen (Denmark, LDR) as first, second and third Vice-Chairpersons respectively;

 

• Bulgaria (co-rapporteurs: MM Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG, and Gjellerod, Denmark, Soc): took position on amendments to the draft resolution and draft recommendation on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Bulgaria with a view to the Assembly debate to be held on 26 January 2000 ;

• Ukraine (co-rapporteurs: Mrs Severinsen, Denmark, LDR, and Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): heard statements by Mrs Severinsen and Mr Holovaty on recent developments in Ukraine, decided to ask the Venice Commission to prepare, if possible for adoption at its next plenary meeting, an opinion on the constitutionality of the referendum which has been announced by the President of Ukraine and authorised its co-rapporteurs to visit the country as soon as possible;

 

• Russia (co-rapporteurs: MM. Atkinson,United Kingdom, EDG, and Bindig, Germany, Soc): appointed the Chairman as its spokesperson for the Assembly debate on the conflict in Chechnya to be held on 27 January 2000;

 

 

• Turkey (co-rapporteurs: MM Bársony, Hungary, Soc, and Hornhues, Germany EPP/CD): heard statements by members of the Turkish delegation regretting the committee’s request to the Bureau to refer to the Political Affairs Committee the motion for a recommendation on a "political solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey";

• appointed the following co-rapporteurs:

Georgia: Mr Eörsi (Hungary, LDR) and Mr Diana (Italy, EPP/CD)

Moldova: Mr Moreels (Belgium, EPP/CD)

Russia: Mr Atkinson (United Kingdom, EDG)

the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Mr Sinka (Latvia, EDG)

Ukraine: Mrs Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD);

• accepted, subject to the Bureau's approval, the invitation by the Chairman of the Latvian Delegation, Mr Sinka, to meet in Riga and agreed that this meeting should take place after the debate on the committee's report in the plenary;

 

• decided to hold its next meeting in Paris on 8 March 2000.

Egbert Ausems, Guy Dufour, Despina Chatzivassiliou