Information Documents - Council of Europe · Web viewINFORMATION NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MINISTERS' DEPUTIES _____ NOTE D'INFORMATION A L'ATTENTION DES DELEGUES DES MINISTRES

DGAP/Inf(2006)422 February 2006

With the compliments of the Director General of Political AffairsAvec les compliments du Directeur Général des Affaires Politiques

INFORMATION NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE MINISTERS' DEPUTIES__________

NOTE D'INFORMATIONA L'ATTENTION DES DELEGUES DES MINISTRES

RE: Report from the Council of Europe Field Offices and Other Outposts* / January 2006Rapport des Bureaux du Conseil de l’Europe sur le terrain et autres antennes* / janvier 2006

Please find attached the Report from the Council of Europe Field Offices and Other Outposts for January 2006.

_________________________

Veuillez trouver ci-joint le rapport des Bureaux du Conseil de l’Europe sur le terrain et autres antennes pour janvier 2006.

Ce document n’existe qu’en anglais

* For a more complete list of activities, see Council of Europe activities database (CEAD) – http://dsp.coe.int/CEAD / Pour une liste plus complète des activités, voir la base de données des activités du Conseil de l’Europe (CEAD) – http://dsp.coe.int/CEAD

http://dsp.coe.int/CEAD

http://dsp.coe.int/CEAD%20/

FIELD OFFICESYEREVANMs Bojana URUMOVA Special Representative of the SGTel: +374 10 24 33 85Fax: +374 10 24 38 75E-mail: [email protected]

CHISINAUAmbassador Vladimir PHILIPOVSpecial Representative of the SGTel: +373 22 23 50 34 or 35Fax: +373 22 23 30 18E-mail: [email protected]

BAKUMr Mats LINDBERGSpecial Representative of the SGTel: +994 124 975 489Fax: +994 124 975 475E-mail: [email protected]

BELGRADEMr Stefano VALENTISpecial Representative of the SGTel: +381 11 3 088 411Fax: +381 11 3 086 494E-mail: [email protected]

SARAJEVOMr Tim CARTWRIGHT Special Representative of the SGTel: +387 33 264 360 or 361Fax: +387 33 233 937E-mail: [email protected]

PODGORICAMr Vladimir RISTOVSKIHead of OfficeTel: +381 81 230 819 or +381 81 230 825 Fax: +381 81 230 176 E-mail: [email protected]

TBILISIMr Igor GAONSpecial Representative of the SGTel: +995 32 98 54 40Fax: +995 32 98 96 57E-mail: [email protected]

PRISTINAMr Zurab KATCHKATCHISHVILIHead of OfficeTel: +381 38 243 749Fax: +381 38 243 752E-mail: [email protected]

OTHER OUTPOSTSTIRANAMs Delphine FREYMANNSpecial AdviserTel: +355 4 22 84 19Fax: +355 4 24 89 40E-mail: [email protected]

SKOPJEMr Michel RIVOLLIERResident ExpertTel: +389 2 3290 232Fax: +389 2 3123 617E-mail: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]










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Yerevan

1. Political and legislative developments

1. On 14 January the RA Prosecutor General initiated three criminal cases concerning fraud perpetrated during the constitutional referendum, all of which related to relatively minor violations (cases of voters casting ballots on behalf of family members, as opposed to more serious instances of ballot-stuffing and falsifying voters’ lists).

2. On 5 January the President signed a decree setting up a three-member Interim Commission to administer the Ombudsperson's Office, chaired by the Chief of Staff of the Constitutional Court and including the Chiefs of Staff of the Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Justice (see paragraph 5 of December report). The Government subsequently (12 January) issued a decision suspending the activity of the staff of the Office of the Ombudsperson. The Decree and Decision were strongly criticised by the incumbent Ombudsperson, civil society and the opposition; the Monitoring Committee of PACE stated that the situation “did not augur well”. The Constitutional Court rejected a complaint by the Ombudsperson to examine the constitutionality of the Presidential Decree, citing procedural grounds.

3. On 18 January the opposition Heritage Party established the Civil Armenia Committee, comprising representatives of 17 opposition parties and 8 civil organisations. The main task of the Committee was presented as ensuring legitimate and fair elections.

4. Two new political parties have applied for registration - Mayr Hayrenik (Mother Homeland), which will hold its first congress in late January or early February, and Prosperous Armenia. Each of them has the backing of prominent businessmen.

5. On 13 January the President held a meeting with European Ambassadors and the representative of the EC delegation. Matters discussed were the Nagorno Karabakh peace process and the Action Plan under the European Neighbourhood Policy.

6. The OSCE Chairman in Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht, visited Armenia from 24 to 25 January and met the President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, as well as de facto “President of Nagorno Karabakh”, to discuss the settlement of the conflict and the role of the OSCE in the negotiations.

7. Human Rights Watch issued its 2005 Annual Report, according to which “the Armenian Government failed to improve the human rights situation”.

8. On 23 January the European Court of Human Rights declared admissible a case submitted by an Armenian opposition activist arrested for his participation in anti-government rallies in the wake of Armenia’s disputed presidential elections of February-March 2003.

9. On 14 January 2006, the President ratified amendments to the law on Television and Radio. The amendments provide that the same person has no right to be a member of the Commission on Television and Radio more than twice in succession.

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10. On 9 January Armenia ratified the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (CETS No. 173 ), and the Additional Protocol to the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (CETS No. 191).

2. Council of Europe action

11. The SRSG discussed the situation concerning the Office of the Ombudsperson with the Armenian authorities (representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Assembly) as well as with former Ombudsperson Larisa Alaverdyan.

12. On 16 January the SRSG met the Chairman of the Public Monitoring Group for Penitentiary Institutions.

3. Other action / coordination and cooperation with partner organisations

13. On 24 January the SRSG met the ABA/CEELI Country Director to discuss their programme of training activities and possible avenues of cooperation with the CoE.

14. A number of issues were discussed with OSCE representatives in January.

* * *

Activities of the Information Office of the Council of Europe (IOCE)

Seminars, conferences and other activities:

Support to the DCR Press Division in selecting Armenian journalists for the coverage of the PACE winter session. The session was widely covered by the Radiolur news programme of the Public Radio, Hajastani Hanrapetutjun Daily, Golos Armenii Daily.

Copies of the European Convention on Human Rights and of the Armenian version of 'Children, participation, projects – how to make it work!' given to Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre NGO to organise the seminars of the Human Rights School in the city of Vanadzor.

CEIO ECHR and EDC Public Service Announcement videos (PSAs) were shown in the village of Chamabarak on 19 January in cooperation with Civil Society Institute NGO.

Publications and translations:

In the context of the 5th anniversary of Armenia's accession to the Council of Europe and 50th

anniversary of the European flag: Two programmes of 'One of 46' TV series were broadcast on Yerkir Media TV. Translation and broadcast on Yerkir Media TV within "The Planet" programme's special

page devoted to European integration on 31 January 2006 of the video-kit on the 50th

anniversary of the European Flag in cooperation with the European Integration NGO. Ongoing distribution of European Flag posters (copies sent to the European Regional

Academy, Eurasia International University, and to all regions through the human rights teachers network of Armenian Constitutional Right-Protective Centre NGO)

Ongoing negotiations with the Armenian Public Radio on the broadcast of the radio version of the 'One of 46' TV series prepared by Internews Media Support NGO.

http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/QueVoulezVous.asp?NT=191&CM=1&CL=ENG



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Baku


1. The Initiative at the PACE winter session to challenge the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation ended up with their ratification in full. Nonetheless, PACE decided to observe the re-run elections on 13 May 2006 and asked the Monitoring Committee to prepare a report on Azerbaijan to be presented after the by-elections, at the PACE summer session in June 2006.

2. On Thursday, 26 January the PACE ad hoc Committee for observing Parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan held a hearing on the Parliamentary elections held in November 2005 and on the preparations for the re-run of those elections in 10 constituencies on 13 May 2006. The leadership of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) and the main opposition parties were invited. At the hearing Mr Ali Kerimli of the Popular Front Party and Mr Sardar Jalaloglu of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party said that they will neither take up the seats their parties won in Parliament, nor take part in the re-run elections until the electoral code has been changed. The representatives of YAP for their part said that it will not be possible to amend the electoral code before the re-run elections.

3. By the end of January about 60 candidates had been nominated for the re-run elections to be held on 13 May. The registration deadline for candidates is 3 March 2006. By the end of January members of the Musavat opposition party still had not reached agreement about whether or not to take part in the re-run elections, whereas the two other Azadlig bloc members, the Popular Front Party and the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, had made it known that their members would not participate.

4. After a series of extraordinary party meetings in January, it became clear that the Azerbaijani National Independence Party (ANIP) had split into two factions. One is led by Mr Etibar Mamedov who headed the party for a long time, and the other by Mr Ali Aliyev. Mr Aliyev’s faction is considered to constitute the more radical wing of the now divided ANIP opposition party.

5. The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in London from 18 to 19 January to prepare the meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the Presidents of the two countries to be held in Paris/Rambouillet from 10 to 11 February.

6. The hunger strike, started by Mr Turan Aliyev and Mr Namig Feyziev and some fellow students, to protest the expulsion of the two former from their respective universities, ended on 18 January. Officially the students were dismissed for having broken university rules and for poor attendance records, whereas they themselves maintain that the real reason was their participation in activities of the political opposition. The hunger strike had received substantial publicity and it was only after an intervention by the Minister of Education and the Minister of Youth, Sport and Tourism that the strike ended, with the decision to have the two students readmitted, although with some delay in the case of Mr Aliyev.

7. By Presidential decree of 30 January, Minister of Culture, Polad Bulbul, was appointed Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia. He was replaced by the Minister of Youth, Sport and Tourism, Mr Abulfaz Garayev. There was no immediate appointment of a new Minister to replace Mr Garayev, but according to the same Presidential decree, responsibility for tourism will be moved to the Ministry of Culture.

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8. On 19 January President Ilham Aliyev signed a pardon decree granting the release of 90 prisoners, as well as pardoning five people who had received conditional sentences. The decree did not concern the remaining three people considered as political prisoners by the Council of Europe experts who examined the 716 cases of alleged political prisoners. However, the pardon did cover three prisoners considered by some human rights NGOs as political prisoners.

9. Following publication of the results of the second written phase of examinations in the on-going selection process of judges in Azerbaijan, 41 of the 155 candidates who did not pass appealed for their results to be reviewed. The Selection Board examined the appeals on 24 January but none of the appeals was decided in favour of an applicant. The review procedure was monitored by some members of the International Legal Reform Group who considered it as entirely correct. Candidates have 10 days after the decision of the Selection Board to appeal the decision to the Judicial Legal Council.

10. On 17 January another donor co-ordination group, similar to the International Legal Reform Group, was established. The new group focuses on local government matters and comprises, inter alia, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, USAID, GTZ, the Eurasia Foundation and IFES.

11. The new European Commission Special Representative to Azerbaijan, Mr Alan Waddams, took up his post in mid-January.


12. The SRSG chaired a meeting of the International Legal Reform Group on 31 January. The group reviewed current legal reform activities among the members of the group.

* * *



On 4 January the IOCE Baku organised a meeting with selected Azeri journalists to highlight the PACE winter session and provide them with information and materials about the CoE and its structures.

On 9 January the IOCE met a representative of the State Management Academy to discuss future cooperation. The IOCE provided the Legal Education Centre of the Academy with books and brochures on the ECHR and human rights issues.

On 13 January the Acting Director gave an interview to Radio Liberty on the CoE, its standards, activities and structure.


The IOCE Baku translated and disseminated 62 Press Releases from HQ in Strasbourg.

Sarajevo

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1. Negotiations between the leaders of the eight main BiH political parties on constitutional reform, facilitated by US Ambassador, Douglas McElhaney, who had taken over the role from Don Hays representing the US Institute for Peace (USIP), continued on 4-5 and 15-16 January. The EC and immediate-past and present EU Presidencies were also represented at Ambassador level, and the SRSG was present essentially to emphasise the baseline conditions of the Venice Commission Opinion.

2. When talks broke down at 3.30 am on 16 January, no agreement had been reached on election or powers of either the Presidency or the House of Peoples, nor had the question of qualified majority voting in the House of Representatives (Entity Voting) been resolved. Failure to agree on HoP elections also undermined an earlier consensus that it should henceforth only deal with VNI (vital national interests). It now seems unlikely that substantial constitutional reform will be achieved ahead of the October elections, unless the attitude of the political leaders changes dramatically.

3. What remains from earlier talks is an agreement on a revised human rights chapter, on a more functional Council of Ministers and its enlargement (two new ministries), as well as an increase in the number of members of the State HoR. This agreement is now being translated into legal texts by a technical drafting group comprising USIP, BiH and US State Department experts.

4. The intention now is to encourage the BiH authorities to avail themselves of the resources afforded by CoE and VC membership, and to request a VC Opinion on these proposed constitutional amendments, once finalised by the technical drafting group.

5. Christian Schwartz-Schilling succeeded Paddy Ashdown as High Representative on 31 January. Undertaking a farewell tour of the country and the political institutions, Ashdown met generally with warmth and appreciation, although his use of the executive powers of OHR, especially the Bonn powers, is still the object of widespread local resentment. With the arrival of Schwartz-Schilling, hopes are that the need for use of the Bonn powers will recede, and though there is no intention to abrogate these powers, Schwartz-Schilling has indicated his wish to see them phased out in practice as local political leaders assume full responsibility.

6. SAA negotiations began in earnest on 25 January, concentrating on general principles of the agreement, political dialogue between the EU and BiH, and regional and financial cooperation.

7. The CEB loan for the Mostar Gymnasium received the green light from the BiH HoR on 30 January. It is now expected to be approved by the HoP and the Presidency.

8. Faced with hunger-striking de-certified police officers, the BiH Council of Ministers decided that diplomatic measures should be undertaken to ensure that the Venice Commission Opinion on this question is discussed by the UN Security Council. Ashdown also met the hunger-strikers, stating that a review of problematic certification decisions was a legitimate demand and that a review mechanism should be established by the UN.

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9. The year-old Republika Srpska government lost a parliamentary no-confidence vote on 26 January. The motion was tabled by the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), which said it was prompted to act by Prime Minister Pero Bukejlovic's failure to get the 2006 budget and several other laws through parliament. RS President Dragan Cavic said that he would appoint the Prime Minister-designate within the constitutional deadline of 10 days, after consultations with relevant political parties. The new PM will then have 40 days to form a new government and have it approved by parliament. In the meantime the incumbent government remains in place.

10. With just about his final legislative act, Ashdown issued amendments to the Election Law, limiting the scope of disbarment from public office, effectively rehabilitating some 400 currently barred officials.


11. On 6 January, the SRSG held talks with representatives of local Roma NGOs. On 12 January he participated in the meeting of GR-DEM, reporting on recent developments. On 17 January he met with the Minister of Human Rights and Refugees to discuss, inter alia, appointment of the Government Agent, the Compatibility Exercise and the state Ombudsman Law, and on 25 January he held talks with the Romanian Ambassador to BiH within the framework of the Romanian chairmanship of the CoE CoM.

12. On 11 and 30-31 January in Jahorina, in collaboration with Ministry of Civil Affairs, the CoE Office Sarajevo facilitated the 8th and 9th consultative meetings of representatives of the RS and FBiH who agreed a final version of a State Law on Sport which, following a period of consultation (including public discussions), will be submitted to parliament.

13. On 26 January in Zenica, the main local and international stakeholders in the field of higher education held a meeting of the Higher Education Working Group (HEWG)/Bologna Committee to discuss activities underway in the process of adoption of the principles of Bologna process, the Higher Education Law and the general situation with regard to the Bologna process in BiH.

14. On 24 January the CIDA-financed Judicial Training Centre project team organised a meeting in Sarajevo with members of the JPTCs' staff appointed by the directors to develop the first issue of the JPTCs' bulletin (CEAD 9659).

15. From 24 to 27 January, a workshop was held in Istocno Sarajevo Prison (CEAD 14360) for assistant prison directors on staff assessment techniques. This followed a series of staff training activities in all BiH prisons. Participants expressed the need for operational procedures, representing a basis of this exercise, to be approved and verified by the Ministry of Justice.

16. On 17 January, the SRSG and the LPO met with the BiH Minister and Assistant Minister of Security to discuss implementation of PACO Impact project in BiH, in particular the support of CoE in revising the Anti-corruption Strategy, implementation of CARDS POLICE project, cooperation of Ministry of Security and EPPU (Economic Planning and Policy Unit) and Establishment of the Anti-corruption Body.

3. Other action/coordination and cooperation with partner organisations

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17. On 24 January in Mostar, the SRSG, together with the Ambassadors of France and Germany, the BiH Minister of Civil Affairs, representatives of the RS MoE, Mostar Cantonal authorities and media, launched a new initiative designed to streamline and focus the activities in the field of foreign language education and teacher training in BIH. This initiative is designed to strengthen existing partnerships, drawing maximum benefit and impact from activities already underway or planned in the near future by the IC stakeholders in the foreign language teacher training, and bearing in mind the draft Framework curricula being developed by the EU General Education project.

18. On 27 January, the SRSG, together with the Assistant Minister of Human Rights and Refugees, Mayor of Sarajevo and Goethe Institute, participated in a round table on parenting and child-rearing, organised by the NGO “Children are Pillars of the World”.

19. On 30 January, the Deputy Head of International Committee of the Red Cross Delegation, Ms Caroline Tissot, met with the Prison Project staff and the SRSG to exchange information on ICRC and CoE activities in the field of prison reform. The SRSG informed ICRC of the necessity for local authorities to find a feasible and sustainable solution in reference to the relocation of psychiatric patients in Zenica Prison, this issue being the subject of a still unresolved ECtHR friendly settlement (11123/04).

20. On 30 January, UNHCR Sarajevo hosted a Human Rights Think Tank working group on Asylum, Migration and Trafficking to discuss current issues in the country regarding asylum, migration and trafficking, to present different activities and agree priorities for 2006. Taking part were representatives of the different international organisations and embassies in Sarajevo and local representatives involved in human rights issues, social security, and asylum, migration and trafficking issues. The CoE was represented by the Local Project Officer of the “CARDS – Social Institutions Support Programme”.

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Tbilisi1. Political and legislative developments

1. Deputy Chairman of the breakaway South Ossetian government Boris Chochiev, who is South Ossetian chief negotiator, rejected the Georgian side’s proposal to hold the next session of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) in Tbilisi on 18-20 January.

2. Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava said that the Abkhaz side continues to fail to curb lawlessness and crime in the predominately Georgian-populated Gali district of the breakaway region. The State Minister sent a letter on this subject on 10 January to UN Secretary General’s Special Representative to Georgia Heidi Tagliavini and Maj.-Gen. Sergey Chaban, commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the Abkhaz conflict zone.

3. An open competition has been announced for the position of the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), vacant since former Chairman Gia Kavtaradze was appointed Minister of Justice on 22 December.

4. Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on 18 January that delivery of Russian arms to the South Ossetian conflict zone through the Roki tunnel, which links breakaway South Ossetia with the Russian Federation, still continues. Recently, a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun system and a mobile radio station belonging to the Defence Ministry forces of breakaway South Ossetia was confiscated by the Joint Peacekeeping Forces (JPKF) on 13-14 January. The Georgian Minister said that there are some more anti-aircraft gun systems in the Tskhinvali region.

5. In a statement issued on 18 January the Georgian Foreign Ministry called on Moscow to finalise an intergovernmental agreement on withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia. On 17 January Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed the agreement reached between the two countries on the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, however added that the Georgian side hampered the process by not issuing visas to Russian servicemen.

6. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its World Report 2006 that the Georgian government has taken some positive steps in preventing torture but torture and due process violations continue to be reported. According to the document, government reforms are producing mixed results on a range of issues, including religious and political freedom and independence of the judiciary.

7. Leading MPs from the ruling National Movement party slammed the Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in the South Ossetian and Abkhaz conflict zones and the Joint Control Commission (JCC) over South Ossetian conflict resolution for their "inefficiency." The MPs also criticised the activities of the Joint Control Commission as “absolutely incapable.”

8. Explosions of two gas pipelines in Russia’s North Ossetian Republic early on 22 January suspended gas supply to Georgia and Armenia. First explosion occurred on “North Caucasus-Trans Caucasus” gas pipeline, 30 kilometers away from the North Ossetian

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/georgi12229.htm

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capital Vladikavkaz at 02:52 am Moscow time. 20 minutes later second explosion hit another gas pipeline “Mozdok-Tbilisi”. President Saakashvili said at an emergency session of the National Security Council (NSC) that the government is in “full control” of the situation and everything is being done to overcome the crisis.

9. EU Special Representative to South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie held talks with South

Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity in Tskhinvali on 24 January. Kokoity said during the meeting that the South Ossetian side is ready “to actively cooperate with all the mediators in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.”

10. The Georgian and Abkhaz sides agreed, during UN-mediated talks in Gali on 24

January, “to activate bilateral and multilateral cooperation aimed at fighting and preventing criminality in the conflict zone -first and foremost in the Gali district,” according to signed protocol.

11. Georgia’s ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili will present a comprehensive political platform of her party the last week of January, on which she plans to run in local self-governance elections scheduled for this autumn.


12. During January SRSG held several meetings with the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Mr Gia Kavtaradze. During the meetings the problems in the field of penitentiary system were discussed.

13. On 17 January SRSG held a meeting with the representatives of opposition Labor Party and NGOs, which are dealing with freedom of expression and human rights. The meeting was requested in order to inform the SRSG about claimed violations in the penitentiary field, violation of freedom of expression and other human rights.

14. SRSG met with the Chairman of the Supreme Court, Mr Kote Kublashvili on 18 January to discuss the operation of the High School for Judges. SRSG and Mr Kublashvili agreed on the topics for the trainings of trainers and on some major aspects of the school.

15. On 18 January the SRSG held a meeting with Mr Hassan Asgari, First Secretary of the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran. The main topic of the discussion was possible future cooperation in the development of the South Caucasus region.


16. During January SRSG held several meetings with Mr Roy Reeve, Head of OSCE Mission to Georgia and other OSCE representatives to discuss the issues concerning South Ossetia.

17. On 17 January SRSG met with Ms Heidi Tagliavini, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Georgia. They discussed the current human rights situation in Abkhazia and in Georgia generally.

** *

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23-24 January – Seminar on “European Co-production and Eurimages” organised by the Georgian National Film Center – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Monuments’ Protection. (IO info. coverage).

19 January – Meeting with Ms. Jennie Svedberg, Programme Officer from R. Wallenberg Institute. The perspectives for prolonging of co-operation in HR field and partnership in action against trafficking in human beings were discussed during the meeting.

25 January – Opening of CoE Info-Point in the Library of the Prosecutor General’s Office.


Implementation of Resolution 1415 (2005) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia - Report of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of CoE (Monitoring Committee).

Web-publication of Manuals for: museum directors’ (by a Greek team of museum experts); and theatre managers (by Simon Mundy). DG IV-IO, STAGE Project.

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Chisinau1. Political and legislative developments

1. On 2 January, Presidents Voronin and Yushchenko signed a joint declaration asking the EU for help in settling the “gas war”. Negotiations with Russia continued throughout the month and a preliminary deal for 4 months was achieved. It was criticised by the opposition for lack of transparency. Later it was decided to adapt gas prices for consumers as of the beginning of February. In the context of the gas price negotiations, the EU sent an energy expert to Moldova to assess the overall energy situation in the country.

2. The judgment in the Pasat case was announced on 17 January. Mr Pasat, former Minister of Defence of Moldova, and currently advisor to the Head of the Russian RAO UES, Mr Chubais, was condemned to 10 years in prison. In response, Mr Chubais qualified the Court’s judgment as “political harassment on the opponents”, and stated that the Moldovan President “will confront big problems from now on”. President’s chief advisor Mr Tcaciuc commented on Chubais’ statements, that such a vocabulary would be inappropriate for a high official representing the Russian Federation. The Russian PACE delegation has demanded that PACE carries out an independent, objective investigation into the case of Valeriu Pasat.

3. On 17 January, the ECtHR in the case Popov vs. Moldova found for Mr Popov for the third time in one year. Moldova was found guilty of not respecting a court decision.

4. The Moldovan Parliamentary delegation to PACE participated in the January session in

modified composition. It included AMN deputy Mr Valeriu Cosarciuc after the PCRM majority opposed the inclusion of the leader of Moldova Noastra Mr Urechean in the delegation.

5. On 25 January, MP Stepaniuc (PCRM) strongly criticised the adopted PACE resolution on the Need for international condemnation of crimes of totalitarian communist regimes.

6. On 18 January, the Council of Ministers approved the draft law on amending and completing the law on government, including a proposal to create a new Ministry of Local Public Administration. The ministry would take over a part of the assignments of the Regional Development Agency and the National Migration Bureau.

7. On 19 January, the government officially launched the central public administration reform strategy 2006-2008, which is aimed at reorganising the administration, optimising the decision-making processes and improving the human resources management through the creation of a professional, compact and motivated corps of civil servants.

8. On 25 January, during a press conference, the President of the Constitutional Court pleaded for free access of citizens to the Constitutional Court. A draft to modify the Constitution in order to admit constitutional complaints by citizens (Arts. 135 and 136) had not received the required two-thirds majority in second reading on 30 December.

9. On 25 January, a new agreement between Ukraine and Moldova entered into force, by which Ukraine agreed to let Transnistrian exports pass only if they have the respective

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Moldovan customs documentation. The same day, Ukraine let goods without Moldovan documentation pass and decided to postpone implementation of the agreement.

10. On 26-27 January, another round of negotiations took place in Tiraspol and Chisinau. They were described as having been "very difficult" [OSCE Ambassador Hill] and "very dissatisfactory" (Moldovan Ministry of Reintegration).

11. On 31 January, the Tiraspol administration blocked the passage on the dam of the Dubasari hydro-station by installing metallic gates. The Reintegration Ministry qualified this step as "unilateral provocation", and reserved itself the right to convoke an extraordinary sitting in the 5+2 format to discuss this situation.

12. On 25 January, masked officers of the Centre for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (CCCEC) searched the headquarters of Victoriabank and took official documents with them. Media reported that the CCCEC has decided on 20 January to start a criminal lawsuit against the manager of Victoriabank, Mr Turcanu. Mr Turcanu stated that this action was meant to damage his reputation. Mr Turcanu was arrested in October 2005 for 10 days by the CCCEC - he was accused of an attempt of bribery but upon expiry, his term of preventive arrest had not been prolonged.


13. During the January Session of PACE Moldova presented the Law on Religions, voted in first reading, for expertise to CoE.

14. On 19 January, the SRSG met Parliament advisor Ms Zolotco to discuss the follow-up seminar on implementing the concept of cooperation between Parliament and Civil Society.

15. On 30 January, SRSG met the deputy Minister of Interior to discuss aspects of joint actions with the CoE on transparency and cooperation of police with civil society.

16. The JP judicial expert, together with the President of the Superior Council of Magistrates of Moldova, coordinated the framework of further cooperation in the field of risk assessment of corruption in the judiciary within the Joint Programme. Among others, it has been agreed that an additional 200 judges and prosecutors will receive the two-day anti-corruption training.

** *


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IOCE continued bi-annual dissemination of latest publications to University libraries and Central Public Libraries.Providing Moldovan mass media with SG/Inf (2005) 20 “Moldova: stock-taking report of cooperation with the Council of Europe” and facilitating its translation into Moldovan.

Publications and Translations:

IOCE is in the process of preparing with the publishing house the ECtHR judgments for publication in three volumes.

IOCE translated PACE Resolution 1481 (2006) Need for international condemnation of crimes of totalitarian communist regimes.

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Belgrade 1. Political and legislative developments

1. The tragic railway accident in Montenegro overshadowed other events in Serbia. The President and the Prime Minister of Serbia visited Podgorica and offered all possible assistance to the Montenegrin authorities.

2. The Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro is due to agree to the opening of the military archives to ICTY investigators and the State Union Parliament should adopt soon the law on freezing ICTY indictees’ properties. In the meantime a Republika Srpska Army Colonel was arrested in Belgrade under suspicion of assisting Mladic to avoid capture. These measures have not stopped the mounting pressure on Serbia to arrest Mladic, who is believed to be in the country. The continuation of the SAA negotiations, due to resume in mid-February, seem also to depend on the arrest of the top Hague fugitive.

3. The death of President Rugova was extensively followed by the Belgrade media and prompted a number of official statements, expressing anxiety over the choice of Rugova’s successor and fearing a radicalisation of the Kosovo political scene. The Serbian negotiation team finished its round of consultations in view of the status talks, scheduled in February.

4. This month, corruption scandals with political implications have monopolised the political scene in Belgrade. The “Karic/Mobtel case” prompted Austria and Serbia to form a bilateral commission to look into Mobtel’s ownership, part of which was recently acquired by Austrian investors. In addition, the arrest of the Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Serbia on charges of accepting bribes has shaken the credibility of this institution, which has until now enjoyed broad public confidence.

5. Following the Serbian government agreement on the telecommunication development strategy, the Broadcasting Agency Council announced an open competition for distribution of licenses for radio and television broadcasting.

6. The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church addressed a letter to the head of Vojvodina's Executive Council, claiming devastation of churches and religious monuments in the province. The Patriarch's claim was met with scepticism by a number of political commentators. According to the Vojvodina Ombudsman, Petar Teofilovic, the number of inter-ethnic incidents significantly decreased in Vojvodina in 2005.

2. Council of Europe Action

7. The CoE office provided human rights documentation to the newly created Office of the Government Agent of Serbia and Montenegro (CEAD No 13356).

8. The third seminar of a project on truth and reconciliation, organised by the State Union Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, with the support of the CoE, was organised in Belgrade. The seminar on “cooperation with ICTY and war crimes trials before the national courts” was attended by some 70 participants and the media covered the event extensively.

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9. The Working Group on Financial Investigations established within the CARPO programme, held a number of meetings devoted to the preparation of a manual for financial investigation with the assistance of CoE Experts. Another working group dealing with the Anti-Corruption Law within the PACO Project (CEAD No 9493) held two meetings to finalise drafting of the Anti-Corruption Law. The Office also organised an evaluation mission of independent experts within the CARPO Project.

3. Other action /coordination and cooperation with partner organisations

10. The CoE Office hosted a meeting with other international organisations (UNDP, OSCE, EAR, CIDA Canada, EC Delegation) to discuss a common approach towards the new version of the Judicial Reform Strategy prepared by the Ministry of Justice.

11. The SRSG met with the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities , Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, who was on a three-day mission in Belgrade. Ambassador Ekeus was briefed on the most recent political developments with particular focus on Vojvodina and S. Serbia, co-operation and joint activities of his Office with the CoE were discussed.

12. The SRSG attended a meeting for the European diplomatic community and Organisations hosted by Minister Ljajic, Head of the Coordinating Body for Southern Serbia. Minister Ljajic presented the work of the co-ordination body so far and the plan for its future work. The Minister also informed the gathering that an "Economic Team" for the economic development of Kosovo and Southern Serbia had recently been formed.

13. The SRSG and the Deputy HoO met with representatives of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to share information on plans the organisations are undertaking and to identify possible synergies.

14. The Deputy HoO had a meeting with representatives of the Vojvodina Executive Council, regarding the creation of a Vojvodina Office for European Affairs.

15. The Belgrade Office attended a conference, organised by “Transparency Serbia”, with special focus on allegations of corruption attempting to influence single MP’s mandates in the Parliament of Serbia.

16. A meeting dedicated to the ongoing reform of civic education took place with “Civic Initiatives”, an NGO which has recently been appointed by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Serbia to be the implementing agency for this specific part of the educational system reform.

17. The Belgrade Office attended a conference on Capacity Building and Transparent Public Procurement System, organised by Transparency Serbia and Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, on 30 January in Belgrade.

18. On 31 January the Office participated in a round table on the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, organised by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights.

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Podgorica1. Political and legislative developments

1. The Government on 19 January adopted the Second Quarterly Report on Stabilisation and Association Process, focused on cooperation with the EU institutions, conformity of legislation and preparations for the Second Technical Round of Negotiations to be held on 21 February. It announced that it will also adopt an Action Plan for Implementation of the EU Council of Ministers Decision of 31 January on the principles, priorities and conditions of the European Partnership with Serbia and Montenegro. The Decision points out, among other things, the following political priorities: revising the Constitution in line with European standards, de-politicising election administration and setting a transparent framework for campaign financing, strengthening administrative capacity of the Ombudsman Office, adoption and implementation of legislation on mandatory initial and continuous training for judges and prosecutors, full implementation of the Law on conflict of interests, fulfilment of all obligations towards the Council of Europe and ensuring their uniform and effective implementation, improvement of prison conditions, adoption of anti-discrimination legislation, adoption of strategy on cooperation between NGOs and governmental bodies, etc.

2. The initiative of President Vujanovic of 19 December for talks about the standards of future relationship between Serbia and Montenegro, in case Montenegro becomes an independent state, was repeated on 21 January. It assumes establishment of dialogue of the Presidents of the member-states and governments for projection of mutual relationship based on common interest.

3. On 12 January the Personal Representative of the EU High Representative, Mr Miroslav Lajcak, handed over to the authorities a document titled “Key principles of the process of democratic referendum in Montenegro” as a basis for achievement of broad political consensus. The negotiation platforms of both political blocs completed on 23 January were followed by the Personal Representative’s Recommendations of 27 January on: legislative framework, referendum campaign, access to media, financing of the referendum campaign and administration of the referendum. The negotiation process continued on experts' level in the Parliament on 31 January. At the same time, the issues of majority requirements and referendum question are subject of political consultations. A Political Declaration on post-referendum procedure should be drafted as well. The Serbian People's Party refused to take part in the negotiation process.

4. On 21 January, the Socialist People’s Party (SNP) reported that that the necessary majority for validation of referendum results in their opinion is 50% + 1 of the registered voters. If such a majority is not accepted, the Socialist People’s Party (SNP), Peoples Party (NS) and Democratic Serbian Party (DSS) would invite the EU to define what majority should be decisive for change of the State status. At the same time, President Vujanovic stated that he will propose calling for referendum even if negotiations with the opposition fail on 22 January.

5. On 17 January the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Ranko Krivokapic accepted the proposal of President Vujanovic and scheduled an Extraordinary Session of the Parliament to be held on 7 February with the Call for Referendum for change of the state status on the

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agenda.

6. An Extraordinary Session of the Parliament started on 17 January following a request from the opposition, to discuss the adoption of a Resolution for protection of citizens from abuse by the Police and the Agency for National Security in political purposes, including dismissing the Heads of Police and of the Agency. The Parliament did not adopt the proposed text.

7. To be followed next month: preparations for the referendum process and possible agreement on the modality according to which it could be carried out.

2. Council of Europe Action

8. An opinion on the need to adopt a separate Law on Unauthorised Media Concentration, bearing in mind the fact that Law on Protection of Competition already exists, was handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Media on 27 January. In accordance with the opinion, the drafting of the Law related to prevention of concentration of print media should start soon (CEAD 14104).

3. Other action /coordination and cooperation with partner organisations

9.The Head of Office participated in an exchange of views held between Gordana Djurovic, Minister for International Economic Relations and European Integration and representatives of EU member states, Acceding and Candidate countries in Podgorica on 20 January, and another between representatives from Embassies of France, Austria, USA, EAR, GTZ and the Acting Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro on 27 January. He spoke, inter alia, about inter-ethnic relations in Northern Montenegro, the self-regulation of private media, possible problems to be encountered in implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information, and the present status and prospects for adoption of the Law on Asylum, Law on Citizenship and Law on Identity Documents.

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Pristina1. Political and legislative developments

1. This month in Kosovo was profoundly marked by the death on 21 January of President Ibrahim Rugova which, apart from all the political consequences for the future of the province, slowed down all initiatives and current activities both at local and international level.

2. Local authorities declared a 15-day mourning period. Representatives of various States and governments, as well as international institutions, attended the funeral, held in Pristina on 26 January. The Council of Europe was represented by Giovanni di Stasi, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Head of Office.

3. In their first meeting for this year, the members of the Kosovo Political/Strategic Group agreed on the contents of two basic documents to be submitted to Martti Ahtisaari’s Team at the end of January. In the first document, the plan on decentralisation process would be presented, in the second the legal basis of independence. Other documents will include Cultural Heritage, Returns and Property issues. All these together would serve as a platform for negotiation.

4. Most dailies report that the Secretary General of the Council of Europe has asked to have unlimited access to all detention facilities in Kosovo, including military bases of KFOR.

5. The head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo Serbs, Minister of Returns and Communities of the PISG, Slavisa Petkovic, asked that one year after the boycott of plenary sessions of Kosovo Assembly by the MPs of SLKM led by Oliver Ivanovic , the mandates reserved for Serb representatives shall be reviewed and unoccupied places filled by candidates from his party. “We will start the initiative, in talks with PM, Assembly Speaker and SRSG. It is normal that one year after elections a Minister of Agriculture, two deputy ministers and the member of the Presidency of Kosovo are appointed,” said Petkovic.

6. The LDK chairmanship reached an agreement to appoint Fatmir Sejdiu as its candidate for the office of President of Kosovo. Sejdiu is currently LDK Secretary General and vice Speaker of Kosovo Assembly. The Assembly elected the new President on 10 February.

7. Although the names of the Heads of two new Ministries – Order and Justice – were to be announced in January, it seems that the two main Parties, LDK and AAK, could not find an agreement yet.

8. On 17 January Stephan Lehne, EU Special Envoy for Talks on Kosovo paid a visit to Kosovo for a series of meetings with Local authorities and UNMIK officials.

9. Albert Rohan, Deputy to the Special Envoy on UNSG for Status Talks, arrived in Kosovo on 30 January for a two-day visit, to re-launch the negotiation process. In his

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meetings with local authorities he stressed the need to be more active in Standards implementation, a condition sine qua non of successful talks.


10. Several activities, including for the Ombudsperson Institution Support Project and the PACO Impact Project, scheduled for late January were postponed following the demise of President Rugova.

11. In cooperation with the Finnish Human Rights Support Programme - Kosovo and the Human Rights Centre of the University of Pristina, the CoE decided to support a research project of a group of students of the Law Faculty of the University of Pristina, on «the right to education of minorities in Kosovo, with an emphasis on the right to education of Roma community». The Council of Europe will provide the students with an international expert to assist them in their research and will possibly provide translation of the finalised research in Roma and Serbian language.

12. The Director of Political Advice and Co-operation of DGAP, visited Kosovo from 30 January to 1 February. He had meetings with the Speaker of Kosovo Assembly, President a.i. Nexhat Daci, Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, Minister of Local Government of PISG Lutfi Haziri, Deputy SRSG Jean Dussourd, representatives of Serb community, members of Assembly Oliver Ivanovic and Goran Bogdanovic, Head of opposition party “Ora” Veton Surroi, as well as with heads of Liaison Offices of Austria, EU and European Commission. The main topics of the meetings were the political situation in Kosovo, the CoE’s activities with regard to expected developments, in particular in the fields of human rights, rule of law, cultural heritage.

13. The Director contributed to the “Kosovo School for European Integration” with a lecture on the Council of Europe and its role in the European architecture. The school provides continuing education on European integration for emerging community leaders. It is a joint initiative of the Kosova Foundation for Open Society (KFOS), the Kosova Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), and the University of Pristina Faculty of Law.


14. On 17 January the Deputy and the Head of Office participated in the Rule of Law Working Group which is part of series of Working Groups on future international arrangements in Kosovo. Focus on standards implementation continues in parallel to status talks. The Head of Office and Deputy attended a meeting on technical dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade on 18 January.

15. The CoE Office welcomed a group of students from the European Master's Degree Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (Venice) to the office premises and held an interactive session on the work of the CoE both in general and specifically in Kosovo.

16. On 19 January Head of Office and Advisor for Human Rights attended the Round Table “Final Status of Kosovo and Position of Rom and Askhali Communities”, organised by Kosovo Roma and Ashkali Forum.

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4. General Security Situation

18. On Wednesday night, 4 January, near Bihaq in Suhareka a bus of the Sharr-Belgrade line was attacked by a grenade. No injuries were reported. At the moment of attack the bus had 57 passengers on board: 26 Albanians, 21 Gorani, 8 Bosniacs, 1 Turk and 1 Chinese.

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Tirana1. Political and legislative developments

1. On 13 January, the President of the Republic Alfred Moisiu decreed the state budget approved by the Assembly.

2. The Council of Ministers decided to close down the National Privatisation Agency (NPA). The NPA’s functions in respect of privatisation of public and state owned enterprises will be carried out by the Ministry of Finance.

3. At the 13 January meeting of the Council of Ministers Prime Minister Sali Berisha stated that relatives of governmental officials should not be employed in Albanian Customs, Tax or Public Procurement Offices. The Council of Ministers appointed Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Rusmajli in charge of investigating and putting order in all state committees instituted in the last 15 years.

4. Following the dismissal of four Heads of Customs Offices in Lezha, Bllatë, Berat and Vlora, four new heads were appointed to these positions the second week of January. On 16 January, the Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Telecommunications (MPWTT) signed the dismissal of 140 employees in this Ministry, cutting the number of employees in the MPWTT by half.

5. On 20 January, the new parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee to further electoral reform in Albania was established. The Assembly voted in favour of the establishment of the committee with 76 votes and four abstentions.

6. Attempts by Alfa Glina factory to start construction of a pipeline bringing water from Vrizi source to the mineral water/soft drinks factory met resistance from the local population of Nepravishte village. On 22 January, the intervention of the police, aimed at allowing the pipeline construction to take place ended up with clashes between the police and protesters and alleged police violence. On 24 January the Gjirokastra District Court turned down the local residents’ demand for suspension of the works in the Nepravishta-Gline water plant. On the other hand, the Gjirokastra Police Directorate brought charges in the District Prosecutor’s Office against the police forces who clashed with the Nepravishta residents.

7. Deputy Minister of Finance Florian Mima on 28 January set the end of February as the deadline for small businesses to be re-classified (small businesses having a turnover higher than ALL 8 million per annum will be re-classified as big businesses).

8. The Constitutional Court will decide on Friday 3 February whether or not the Law on the High Council of Justice (HCJ) is constitutional, after rejecting on 30 January a complaint by the Socialist Party (SP) asking for the law to be frozen pending a final decision on the constitutionality of the law. The coming into effect of the Law on Conflict of Interest in the HCJ has dictated the need for 10 judges to choose between being either full-time members of this Council or Judges.

25 DGAP/Inf(2006)4

9. Prime Minister Berisha presented on 30 January to the Assembly the results and achievements of the first 100 days of work as well as a draft plan for the first six months of 2006. Central to the programme were issues such as reforms in different sectors, property reform, land registration and legalisation, war against corruption and organised crime, etc.

10. On 27 January, during a presentation of a document on the new instruments and measures to help the Western Balkans countries on their way to EU, Head of the EC Delegation in Albania Ambassador Lutz Salzmann stated that the text of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) of Albania was completed and would be passed in February. Approval will come before summer, when the EU member countries agree.

11. The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors discussed a new Country Assistance Strategy for Albania for the period 2006-2009 which envisages a lending programme of up to US $ 86 million from the International Development Association and US $ 110 million from IBRD. Priorities of the new strategy include helping the government to foster economic growth through support to private sector development, thus creating more jobs, and improve public service delivery, particularly in the social sectors.

12. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently approved three-year arrangements under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) amounting to the equivalent of US $ 24.7 million for Albania to support the government’s programme of economic reform and poverty reduction.


13. Following a visit in December 2005, a Higher Education and Research Division mission was organised in Tirana on 16-17 January, to provide advice on proposed amendments to the higher education legislation regarding the governing bodies of higher education institutions and the election of academic leaders.

14. On 16-17 January, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities paid an official visit to Tirana. He met President of Albania Alfred Moisiu, Prime Minister Sali Berisha, several members of the Government, Mayor of Tirana Edi Rama and high representatives of international institutions in Albania. This visit had a double purpose: first, to meet the new Government and to exchange views on future planned reforms aimed at decentralising public powers and strengthening local and regional self-government; second, to examine the controversial relations between the Government and Tirana Municipality concerning public works in the capital. A visit of Congress Rapporteurs and experts will take place in spring 2006, in view of the preparation of a report on local and regional democracy in Albania.

15. Following the Congress visit, the Special Adviser had meetings with the Prime Minister’s Counsellor for Euro-Atlantic Integration and with the Minister of Public Works, Transportation, and Telecommunications.

16. On 25-26 January, a DG1 Secretariat mission met with Chief Justice Mr Kondi, Vice-Chairman of the High Council of the Judiciary Mr Panda and Minister of Justice Mr Bumci, together with Vice-Minister Mr Kristo to discuss the legislative reforms and the

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forthcoming cooperation with CoE in the field of rule of law and judiciary matters in Albania. A meeting was also organised with the Director of the School of Magistrates.

17. Within the framework of PACO Impact Pilot Activity for Albania, a technical meeting with relevant district and appellate prosecutors chaired by the Prosecutor General was held in Tirana on 30 January. The aim was to discuss and finally decide on the modus of initiation of the Pilot Activity on Case Management. An order of the Prosecutor General to launch the new procedures/forms is expected to be issued soon covering initially implementation in three prosecutorial services: District Prosecution Office of Tirana and Durres (including Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes) and Appellate Prosecution Office of Shkodra.

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Skopje1. Political and legislative developments

1. The Parliament adopted the proposal to pass a new Electoral Code during its 23 January session with 65 votes in favour and one abstention. The Government has one month to prepare the draft law to be discussed and adopted by late February or early March. However, some sensitive issues, such as the composition of the electoral commissions, mechanisms to foster the involvement of minorities, along with the gender question, are still pending. The date of the polling is the subject of speculation but Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski publicly stated that elections can take place once the key laws deriving from the constitutional amendments are passed.

2. On 12 January, Mr Ljupco Jordanovski, Speaker of the Parliament accepted the Government`s proposal to be Ambassador to the United States. Mr Makraduli, coordinator of the SDSM Parliamentary group, who is expected to take over the position of Speaker during the February session, will be the third Speaker of the Parliament in its present composition.

3. On 31 January, the opposition ethnic Albanian Party DPA decided to put an end to a ten-month boycott of the Parliament, which started after the Parliament rejected the DPA request to declare repeated local elections in ten municipalities for vote-rigging.

4. According to a public poll conducted mid-January by the Brima agency, 24% of respondents would consider voting for the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE and 22% for the ruling party SDSM. 34% consider that VMRO-DPMNE should return to power, whereas 24% would like to keep the SDSM in government. However, the conditions under which the poll was conducted are unknown.

5. At the end of the Christmas/New Year recess, Parliament adopted the Law on Academy for Judges and Prosecutors following the recent adoption of the constitutional amendments on judicial reform. On 25 January, the Law on Access to Information was also voted through, whereas the Law on Gatherings is in its second reading. The long–awaited Law on the Use of the Ethnic Communities’ Language is likely not to be discussed before the forthcoming Parliamentary elections since a political agreement between partners to the ruling coalition is still missing.


6. On 30 and 31 January, a Congress delegation in charge of a full-scale monitoring report on local democracy paid a visit to the country, holding a series of meetings with national authorities, mayors and experts. The delegation, led by Mr Michel Guegan, met with the Minister of Local Self Government, the national association of municipalities ZELS and several mayors.


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7. The Resident Expert held a meeting with Mr Stefan Lehnert, Director of the Friederich Ebert Foundation on 26 January to discuss opportunities for further cooperation in the field of decentralisation and active participation of the citizens.

8. The Resident Expert had an exchange of views with Ambassador Erwan Fouere, EU Special Representative and Head of the European Commission on the projects of the Council of Europe for 2006 and issues regarding the monitoring framework for the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

** *



To promote the 50th anniversary of the European Flag, and its most recent publications, on 20 January the Information Office in Skopje, together with the Resident Expert, organised an Information Evening for international representatives, national authorities, local NGOs and other partners. The IO had an Info stand and distributed various CoE publications and made a presentation of the CD – 50 years of the European Flag, 800 million Europeans, as well as a presentation of photographs to mark the 10th anniversary membership in the Council of Europe.

The Information Office provided logistic support to the visit of a monitoring mission of CLRAE to Skopje, Struga, Gostivar, Tetovo municipalities from 30 to 31 January.


The IO distributed 50 copies of the European Convention of Human Rights to the Helsinki Committee office in Skopje for the purposes of their School of Human Rights.

The IO translated the leaflet “The Fight against Terrorism: Council of Europe Activities in the Legal Area”.