Conferences & Seminars
Efthymiou, Saakashvili, Bakradze promote economic co-operation in Georgia
BATUMI, Georgia, 12 May 2012 – Regional co-operation on economic development is not only sound fiscal policy but key to peace and security, parliamentary and government leaders said today at the opening of a major economic conference in Georgia.
More than 100 parliamentarians and nearly 250 participants started their meetings Saturday morning under the theme of "Fostering Economic Co-operation and Stability in the OSCE Region". At the opening of the OSCE PA conference, Assembly President Petros Efthymiou called for a new Marshall Plan for growth, recovery and social cohesion in Europe.
Batumi hosts Economic Conference
On the invitation of the Georgian Parliament, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Economic Conference took place in Batumi, Georgia, from 12 to 14 May 2012.
Nearly 100 parliamentarians from 34 OSCE countries convened for the conference focused on fostering economic co-operation, sustainable development and stability in the OSCE region.
Discussions concentrated on strengthening energy security and efficiency, creating a transparent investment environment, addressing security challenges through economic policy, expanding transportation and tourism development, and growing small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Efthymiou, Wellmann at CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
COPENHAGEN, 25 May 2011 -- Addressing the Commonwealth of Independent States Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in St. Petersburg on 16 May, President Petros Efthymiou stressed that "today more than ever, we need to continue working together to ensure peace, security and freedom for all our citizens." He also said that as directly elected representatives, Members of Parliament provide the democratic foundation for both the CIS and the OSCE.On the margins of the Session, the Security Committees of parliamentary assemblies of the CIS, Council of Europe, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the OSCE held a joint meeting, which focused on a report from the Speaker of the Afghan Parliament on the need to step up international co-operation to fight drug trafficking.
Italian Delegation holds seminar on protecting national minorities
VIENNA, 25 May 2011 -- Italy's OSCE PA Delegation, in co-operation with the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen, held a seminar on "The Protection of National Minorities: The Bolzano Recommendations and the OSCE Policy" in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy on 20 May.
The seminar, aimed at following up on the Bolzano Recommendations on National Minorities in Inter-State Relations, was attended by 120 delegates from 24 participating States. With the goal of developing best practices on protecting the rights of minorities in order to prevent inter-ethnic tensions, the seminar included addesses by Luis Durnwalder, President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen; PA Vice-President and Head of the Italian Delegation Riccardo Migliori; Amb. Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities; and Matteo Mecacci, Rapporteur of the OSCE PA's Third Committee.
2010 Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum
Under the theme "The OSCE Eurasian Dimension," the Second Trans-Asian Parliamentary Forum, organized jointly by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was successfully concluded on 15 May.
Over 100 parliamentarians from 35 OSCE participating States and Mediterranean partner countries, as well as parliamentarians from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Qatar, participated in the Forum during which the high points were two special sessions with lively discussions on Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Parliamentary representatives from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Turkic-speaking countries (Turk-PA) also participated.
PA participates in OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Cairo
A high level delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, appointed by President Joao Soares, participated in the 2009 OSCE Mediterranean Conference held in Cairo on 14 and 15 December.
Vice-President Isabel Pozuelo, who also heads the Spanish delegation to the PA, led the Assembly's delegation to the Cairo Conference. Other members included Riccardo Migliori, Rapporteur of the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security and Head of the Italian delegation to the PA, and Matteo Mecacci, Rapporteur of the Assembly's General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.