PACE President to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 18 2005
The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE), Rene van der Linden, is to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Georgia from August 18 to 23. These will be his first visits to the
south Caucasus since being elected to office last January.
While in Georgia, on August 20 and 21 he will hold talks with Prime
Minister Zurab Noghaideli, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mikheil
Machavariani as well as representatives of parliamentary opposition
and civil society. A meeting is also scheduled with Patriarch
Ilia II. According to a statement from PACE, the constitutional
situation, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression
and association and media pluralism should be the focal points of
discussion.
Linden will give a press conference in Tbilisi on Sunday, August 21
at Parliament.