ZAGREB ZAGREB, May 9 (Hina) - Around 400 members of the Conference of the Presidents of European Parliamentary Assemblies (PACE), including more than 60 parliamentary presidents and vice-presidents, on Thursday arrived in Zagreb where
they are to attend a two-day conference on anti-terrorism.
ZAGREB, May 9 (Hina) - Around 400 members of the Conference of the
Presidents of European Parliamentary Assemblies (PACE), including
more than 60 parliamentary presidents and vice-presidents, on
Thursday arrived in Zagreb where they are to attend a two-day
conference on anti-terrorism. #L#
The conference "Democracies Faced With Terrorism: National
Strategies", which is sponsored by the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly, is held every two years in Strasbourg or
the capital of a Council of Europe member, this year's host being
Zagreb and the Croatian Sabor.
The Conference, which was established in Paris 27 years ago,
promotes and strengthens democratic norms and values in European
countries by promoting cooperation among the highest institutions
of parliamentary democracy.
The introductory speech on the conference's main topic will be
delivered by the president of the Spanish Senate, Esperanza Aguirre
Gil de Biedma, to be followed by a discussion.
Sabor President Zlatko Tomcic believes the conference should give
"an important contribution to the international fight against
terrorism, which in today's highly globalised world poses a direct
threat to basic democratic values".
German Parliament President Wolfgang Thierse will on Saturday
present an initiative on the adoption of a charter on states'
obligations.
The initiative, which was launched at a session of the
Interparliamentary Union in New York in 2000, has been positively
assessed by the EU parliamentary presidents.
Under the charter, countries would bind themselves morally to
respect and protect basic human rights and basic values which
constitute the common heritage of all world civilisations and
cultures.
(hina) rml sb