newsitems

 

 

- "EuroFora" asked the President of the Republic of Moldova to assess how are going currently his country's EU perspectives, thanks also to its experience at the CoE.

 - "Moldova's European Union Prespectives are going well !", President Timofti (who has just been elected for a 4 years term : 2012-2017)  sharply replied immediately to "EuroFora"s query, with a serious smile.

- "They are Real and Concrete", went on to stress the Moldovan President, concerning his country's EU Integration prospects, after having also welcomed CoE's useful help in order to make further "advances in Democratisation and Rule of Law", as he told us at the conclusion of his meeting with CoE Assembly's chairman Mignon.

+ "The European (Union) Path that we  have chosen is Irreversible", and our "Vision" is  for Moldova to "become a Full EU Member", President Timofti added afterwards.

- For the 1st time in the History of the country, the present Government is supported by a Coalition of 3 political parties which is placed mainly under the banner of "EU Integration", topically reminded to "EuroFora" our ex-collegue, former Journalist, and later CoE Press Attaché, new Head of CoE's Office at Chisinau, Ulvi Akhundlu.

-- "After 3 Elections and 1 Referendum", now "EU needs your vision", mainly about the area's European Integration but also on how to solve the Transnistrian issue, observed later CoE Assembly's President, ChristianDemocrat/EPP French MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, addressing himself to Timofti.

= Replying later to various MEPs' Questions during a subsequent Debate which followed his Speech at CoE Assembly's Plenary in Strasbourg, Moldovan President Timofti, (who has also a long Experience as former Judge and even f. Head of Moldova's Supreme Magistrate Council), stressed that "the most Important" Reform that he wants to accomplish in his country, is to "Change the Prosecutors' and the Courts' system", in order to make it "more Transparent" and able to efficiently "fight Corruption in the Judiciary".

 

Confirming his Government's "Political Will to implement" ECHR's judgements, President Timofti also stressed that "EU placed Human Rights at the Core"  of European Integration, as he said on this occasion.

+ But it's also about "developing Pluralism", and, for that purpose, Mass "Media must be De-Nationalized" throughout the Country, as the experienced, former long-time Top Judge, and now New President of Moldova officially anounced, later Today, at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly's Plenary, where he also expressed his interest for the 1st "World Forum for Democracy" due to start in a few Days in Strasbourg, after an exceptionaly overloaded and busy EU/CoE+  European Agenda during the last 3 weeks, (See also "EuroFora"s questions/replies with the Organizers of the 2012 WDF at the preparatory Press Conference of April 2012 at the CoE : mms://coenews.coe.int/vod/20120625_04_e.wmv ).              

 

 

 

 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Education could offer a useful North - South bridge, including on spreading  Democratic Culture in Europe's Neighborhood, etc., but it remains to be seen whether and how CoE and EU might coperate in this regard, in particular on the Universities' survey that EU Commission has just launched last week, replied in substance the new Deputy Secretary General of the CoE, experienced Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni (2012-2017), to "EuroFora"s relevant questions.
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- "EuroFora" asked CoE's New deputy Secretary General if she thought that Higher Education, (i.e. Universities), could usefully contribute to CoE's curent mission to diffuse "Democratic Culture" also in its Mediterranean Neighbourhood, as she had just stressed at CoE Assembly's Political affairs Committee.

- "Yes ! I think yes, obviously", replied positively to "EuroFora"s question the new  CoE's deputy Secretary General, who already holds an extensive Experience on PanEuropean Education issues, as former long-time CoE Director of Culture, Education and Youth.

- "That's one of the reasons for which we believe that CoE's North-South Centre should continue to accomplish its task, as it has already started to do, at least in part, during the last few years", experienced Battaini-Dragoni observed.

+ Battaini-Dragoni appeared genuinly interested to clearly find out the concrete details about EU Commissioner Vasiliou's recent initiative to launch a High Level Group^, chaired by former President of Ireland, Mary Mcaleese, in order to examine, debate and propose a strategy for EU Universities' Modernization, in comparison with what is currently done also in Russia, China, Japan, the USA, Australia, etc. arounde the World, as "EuroFora" reminded her, (see relevant, earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/vassilioumodernizeuniversities.html ).

    - Even if "I haven't seen yet that proposal, so that I can't  pronounce myself right now" on that, nevertheless, the possibility for an EU - CoE Coperation on such issues concerning Higher Education's Modernization in front of Globalizatio, (i.e. practically including also Countries as Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Norway, etc., which are obviously very interesting to study in this regard, in addition to USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, etc, who already have a Special Status inside CoE since 1996, etc), "is a Question which deserves to be raised", as she said, pointing in particular to the specialized CoE's Education service Director, Sjur Bergan, "who constantly follows on-going developments on Higher Education".

    + Meanwhile, "we, (at the PanEuropean CoE), already have, in this regard, the International Convention for Recognition of (University) Diplomas, also known as "Lisbon Convention", and we (CoE) continue to work on the basis of a similar Methodology (as also the EU), but with the difference that our (CoE's) Scope is much more Wider", (since it includes also some very Important Countries in this regard, such as Russia, Switzerand, Ukraine, Norway, etc), the new CoE's deputy Secretary General added in Reply to "EuroFora's Question.
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    The competences of the PanEuropean Organization for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law in the domain of Higher Education, naturally includes not only Freedom of Access, elementary Equality of chances and No Discrimination, but also ability for Qualified Work in a Multi-Lingual and Inter-Cultural, International context, able to provide an Education of PanEuropean value and usefulness, as well as the Democratisation of Universities, etc.
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     - "It's important for the CoE to help develop "Democratic Culture" in Neighbouring Countries, and, in this regard,  its "North-South Centre (for Gobal InterDependance, based in Lisbon, Portugal), is the natural Partner (Interlocutor) of Mediterranean a.o. Neighbouring Countries. But, for that purspose, the CoE has also to help fill the gap which may exist in the Creation of such a Democratic Culture", stressed Battaini-Dragoni earlier, as the key-note Speaker during an Exceptionally coordinated meeting of CoE Assembly's Political affairs/Democracy, Culture/Science/Education and Media, as well as Social affairs/Health and Sustainable Development Committees, on CoE's "North-South Centre and the Arab Countries in transition".

    - "This is a Timely and Important Debate", today, when a "Paradox" appeared, between CoE's "efforts to Sharpen the role of (its) North-South Centre, and the recent Decision of 4 Countries to drop this "Partial Agreement", leaving behind 14 other COE's Member States, as well as 3 Non-CoE Members, so that there will inevitably be a discussion, inside COE's Committee of Ministers, she pointed out. However, this is not specific to the "North-South Centre", since CoE has also received more other Demands of Withdrawal from various other Partial Agreements as well, which might be due purely to some budget restrictions,  the experienced Battaini-Dragoni observed.

    - Now that the CoE has already     adopted the principle of its Neighbourhood policy, for which it is extremely important to use also the tool of GRECO, CoE's Anti-Corruption watchdog, another area which has not yet been used sufficiently enough is about developing a Democratic Culture in Neighbouring Countries, f.ex. around the concept of Citizenship, etc., CoE's new Deputy Secretary General proposed.

    In this regard, North-South Centre's Executive Committee's Chairwoman, mainstream ChristianDemocrat/EPP Italian MEP Deborah Bergamini, observed that, already, many Women and Young People around the Mediterranean show a vivid interest for such CoE's activities in the area, as it was proved, also by the fact that, "f.ex., when we (CoE) offered just 50 places in a program about "Global Education", we received more than 400 demands, as she revealed, while a Spanish MEP also raised the issue of the future role of the nearby Molina University in Spain, which is interested mainly in projects on Women, Youth and Medias.     

 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- CoE's long-time Rapporteur on Cyprus and Head of the German Delegation to CoE's Assembly, Joachim Hoerster, MEP from the Governing ChristianDemocrat party (CDU), speaking to "EuroFora" on the sideliness of CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, clearly indicated that a fresh move for a solution is expected from the beginning of 2013, just after the country's crucial forthcoming Presidential Election, scheduled for February.

- The experienced German MEP told us that he didn't expect anything substantial in this regard, at this moment, despite UNO Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon's anounced exceptional arrival in Strasbourg next week, on the occasion of the 1st World Democracy Forum, (Comp. relevant "EuroFora"s previous NewsReport : ...., and UNO's Secretary General's reply to "EuroFora"'s Question on Cyprus at another, similar occasion, back on October 2010, during ECHR's 60th Anniversary : ....  ), which seems, indeed, rather focused towards Syria's more topical and urgent issue.

=> - But, very probably, "there will be a Move for a Political Solution for Cyprus' Reunification early next year (2013), after the elections", the competent CoE's Rapporteur replied to an "EuroFora" question.

+ - Hoerster's estimation was almost confirmed by the Spokesman and representative  of Cyprus' Governing Party (AKEL) at CoE's Parliamentary Assembly, MEP George Loukaides, who didn't find any Cyprus solution related developments feasible, at least for the moment, as he told "EuroFora", busy to prepare his current PACE activities.

Other informed sources, speaking to "EuroFora", speculated that an eventual move by CoE's Rapporteur on Cyprus might, eventually, arrive at CoE Assembly's Plenary at the latest on June or September 2013, after the usual preparations and contacts.

Meanwhile the Turkish side's intransigeant stance, reportedly,  still makes things difficult, (as illustrated f.ex. even today's scandalous kidnapping, by Turkish Military Occupation troops, of 3 Cyprus' Policemen  while they were trying to check a Truck Driver  for excessive speed and dangerous driving at a Highway , when he immediately run away to hided himself at the Turkish Occupied Territories of Cyprus, where Ankara's Soldiers arrested the Cyprus' Policemen and left the illegally  tresspassing Truck Driver run away unpunihsed, as they have already done with many other, even more serious Criminals, currently hidding at the No Man's Land of the Occupied Territories held by Ankara's Army, according  to a recent UK Police denunciation)..

However, CoE Parliamentary Assembly's President, French MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, apparently succeeded, recently in Strasbourg, to at least give the ...  visual impression that Turkey might have, at least, "recognized" Cyprus, as the EU has been vainly asking Ankara to do, for many years, since a provocatively negative claim by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, back on July 29, 2005, shortly after visiting the former Brittish "Socialist" Prime Minister Blair, followed by an official EU counter-Declaration, negotiated at the UN Summit of Heads of State/Government on September 2005 (See "EuroFora" Co-Founder's relevant NewsReport from UN Headquarters at New York with a statement by former French Prime Minister Villepin), and confirmed, later on, by all EU Member States, from 2005 up to 2009, as well as now, on 2012, when Turkey is notoriously risking to jeopardize its controversial, unpopular and expensive EU bid, by stubbornely refusing even to respect EU Institutions which include the rotating EU Council's Presidency by EU Member Cyprus during the July - December 2012 Semester :

A never seen before Differend, which currently threatens to provoke an unprecedented Cancellation or long "Postponement" of the EU - Turkey Joint Inter-Parliamentary Committee meeting, normally due for this Month of October 2012... Indeed, Turkish vice-Foreign Minister Bagis had been clearly warned by the EU-Turkey JPC vice-President, experienced Greek MEP Georges Cumutsakos, that, if Ankara persisted in its Refusal to recognize Cyprus, then, it should forget about holding its EU - Turkey JPC on October (See "EuroFora"s relevant NewsReport, from EU Parliament's June 2012 session : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/danisheupresidencyonturkey.html )

In this context, it was, therefore, a Surprise to see, at the end of September 2012 in Strasbourg, Turkish Assembly's President, Cemil Cicek, deliver a Speech at a CoE's meeting  ... Chaired by Cyprus' Parliament's President Yannakis Omirou, as co-President of CoE's Bi-Annual National Parliaments' Presidents' Summit, (together with CoE Assembly's President, French ChristianDemocrat MEP Jean-Claude Mignon).

Instead of refusing to do so under an ostensible CoE Summit's rotating Chairmanship by Cyprus, on the contrary, Cicek surprisingly accepted to deliver his speech when invited to do so by Omirou, focusing on Turkey's notoriously, long-time favorite issue to Restrict Freedom of Expression under pretext of so-called "Hate Speech", (a usual claim by the Turkish regime when it persecutes and jails Dissident Journalists, that he used also on the occasion of the Brutal Murder of US Ambassador and staff at the American Embassy in Benghazi, on pretext of a suspiciously provocative Video, curiously  filmed by an Egyptian with Actors mainly ..."from Turkey and Pakistan"), without even raising his eyebrows...

Thus, Omirou soberly focused on expressing support for current prospects to develop a Political Europe strong on principles and values, as well as to denounce the "Massive Violations of Human Rights" notoriously committed and perpetuated in Cyprus since the 1974 Foreign Military Invasion and Occupation by Ankara's army, despite CoE Assembly's recent Resolutions (adopted both by its Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg, and by its Committee of Ministers at Brighton, UK, as ECHR's President Sir Nicolas Bratza reminded here yesterday) asking from National Delegations of MEPs to ensure that their Government implements ECHR's Judgements.

 

Topically, the President of Cyprus' House of Represenatives observed  that to "EuroFora", just a week before CoE's Committee of Miisters examines if Ankara respects ECHR's case-law on the issue of Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced Persons' Family Homes and private properties, that the Turkish Occupation Military is illegaly hindering them to access.

 

 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- As a matter of moral, social and even Legal Principle, Refugees must be Free to Move and even have a Right to Work, in order to try to re-integrate Society in a way respecting elementary Human Dignity of such Vulnerable persons and their Families, replied in substance the experienced UNHCR's Director for Europe, Daniel Endres to "EuroFora"s questions, in reaction to Press Reports on Turkish Authorities' attempts to oblige Syrian Refugees to abandon independent Housing and pushing them to Camps from which they have fled, complaining of Harsh Conditions, on the occasion of an International CoE Conference on Refugees' Right to Work without being exposed f.ex. to dangers of Over-Exploitation and/or social Exclusion, Discrimination, etc., (particularly as long as the Global Economic Crisis has not yet been fully overcome), which was organized in cooperation with CoE"s Social Rights' Charter and the European Court of Human Rights today in Strasbourg.

- "No, they shouldn't do that". As a matter of Legal Principle, "Refugees have a Right to Freedom of Movement", according f.ex. to Article 26 of the Geneva International Convention, and, moreover, "we (UNHCR) use Camps only as a Last Resort", UNCHR's Director clearly told "Eurofora".

- F.ex. "in Lebanon, there are practically No Camps", and the numerous Syrian Refugees are mainly Housed independently and/or hosted by Local Populations, Endres confirmed, agreeing with Lebanese mainstream Politician Hariri's relevant statements to "EuroFora", a few Days earlier at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, when he had asked just for Humanitarian, Logistical Help, "f.ex. for Refugees ' Children to have adequate Shooling etc. before the Winter comes", as Hariri had told us then.

 But, mainstream Press Agencies have denounced, earlier this Month, the fact that Turkish Authorities reportedly ordered many Syrian Refugees' Families, who have found some Shelters in various Villages near the borders of their Homeland, to abandon even their New Homes, pushing them to enter inside overcrouded Camps, with obvious promiscuity, over-parked in Tents or Containers, often exposed to excessive Heat, and surprisingly deprived of any Tree's shade, under heavy Police/Military guard and surrounded by Metalic Fences, Barbed Wire, etc., where Collective Protests and even Clashes have been recently reported between several Syrian Refugees and some Turkish Authorities, (including on the occasion of reported attempts to park there also some other Groups, despite sometimes insufficient Food/Sanitary conditions, etc).

In addition, AP and other Press Agencies reported also Syrian Refugees' protests for Turkish Authorities' decision to "Close a School" where more than 850 Syrian Children were receiving independent Education in the surounding villages of Hakay, (etc).

Such incidents probably explain the recent Fact that, despite the on-going Bloody and Destructive Conflicts inside Syria, Thousands of Syrian Refugees have reportedly left the Turkish Camps in order to Return to their Country, or flee to Lebanon, even to the Kurdish Regions of Iraq, etc.. (See also "EuroFora"s previous, relevant NewsReport : http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/paceresolutiononturkishcapsforsyrians.html )

On the contrary, in Strasbourg, a Syrian Refugee met by "EuroFora" earlier today, was free to travel in the City's Tramway, and was discussing with a Friend the choice of the Mosque to visit. Some Months ago, during a Press Coverage  in Geneva (Switzerland), we had arrived on time at UNOG's premisses thanks to Member of a Family of Syrian Refugees working as Taxi Driver, (etc).

According to CoE's Statistics, Turkey has "only" some 14.000 officialy Registered Refugees from Syria and other Countries inside its territory,  while, on the contary, the .. Refugees coming to Europe .. by FLEEING FROM Turkey have grown up to a Record Number of .. about 140.000 (i.e. 10 times more !), which is the Biggest Number of Refugees from any among CoE's 48 Member Countries, (excluding Serbia, with 160.000, which faced recent bloody and destructive Military Conflicts and even War, followed by Russia with "only" some 100.000, Croatia and Bosnia with around 60.000, etc).

 

Topically, the UNHCR/ECHR event took place at the CoE while its Committe of Ministers had just concluded a week of work in dealing with efforts to implement ECHR's Judgements in several Countries, including, naturally, Turkey's notorious refusal to allow 190.000 Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced Persons since the 1974 Military Invasion and persisting Occupation of the Northern part of the island (whose Government currently chairs the EU, from July to December 2012) to Return to their Family Homes and Fatherland, not even to have access or at least possession of their Homes and/or other Private Propeties, despite many ECHR's Judgements condemning Ankara for continuously violating the victims' Human Rights.  - "Unfortunately, it's mainly because Turkey has'nt even ratified ECHR's protocol on the Freedom of Movement, and because our rights too return to our Family Homes as such have not ben yet fully recognized, that I was obliged to invoke my .. private property Rights to our Hpuse and Land in order to have at least a Legally enforceable Right", had chartacteristically said to "EuroFora"s co-Founder the famous 1st Greek Cypriot Refugee lady who had initially succeeded to find some Justice in Strasbourg's PanEuropean Court, Tina Loizidou, at a previous meeting.

ECHR's new Judge Angelica  Nussberger (from Germany), explained, during CoE's Conference on Refugees, that even Articles 3 (against Inhuman/Degrading Treatments), as wel as 8 (protecting Private and Family Life), etc., can be among various possible Legal protections for vulnerable Refugees when they face exceptionaly Hard problems f.ex. in their attempts to Work, Move, find a Home, etc., and this was naturally supported also by the parallel, specific potential contribution of CoE's Charter on Social Rights, presented by its PanEuropean Independent Experts Committee's President, prof. Luis Quessada, and the experienced CoE's Social Rights' Director Regis Brillat, (who also briefed "EuroFora" on various other, relevant and/or forthcoming , interesting developments in this fast-moving recently area).

+ In fact, as far as it concerns at least Refugees' Right to Work, (in addition to the obvious Risk that might have any eventual attempt to abandon any Group into Social Exclusion, Discrimination, etc), this can reduce Costs f.ex. of Social Allowances, and even prove Practicaly Useful to the Economy of European Societies, considering also the fact that some Jobs, despite the current Global Crisis, don't even find anyone willing to assume them, f.exc. in CHR, Crafts, Agriculture, etc., while real Refugees, i.e. Persons obliged to flee Persecution from other Countries, etc., some of them being however Professionaly Qualified, f.ex. Medical Doctors who could eventually fill currently empty positions in some remore Rural Areas deprived of local Health professsionals, etc, observed to "EuroFora" UNHCR's experienced Permanent Representative to the COE (and former Refugee himself), Olivier Beer.

 

The interesting, practical experience of a Village area in Finland, where Refugees from various other Countries were, progressively, established in order to Work f.ex. in Agriculture, Metal Industry, and other jobs useful for the Local Economy, succesfully integrating, 1 or 2 decades afterwards, about 10% of the permanent inhabitants of the Village, as described by a Finnish Expert, attracted a wide interest among the participants of CoE's  International Conference, which reached as far as to include also qualified Legal Experts from Australia, and other Regions of the World usually receiving many waves of Refugees.
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    Marking the importance that CoE wants to give to such issues on Refugees, the UNHCR Conference was opened by the new CoE deputy Secretary General, the experienced Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, who has just been elected by CoE's Assembly for a 5 years period 2012-2017, and, in addition to an extensive experience particularly on Culture, Education, Environment and Youth policies, as well as, recently, as former CoE Director General in charge of the overall Strategy and planfification of all activities of the PanEuropean Organization of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, has had already various earlier opportunities to approach Refugees' issues from comprehensive, multifacet points of view, including Multi-Culturalism and Socal Cohesion (f.ex. CoE's Development Bank's help to fund Aid/Rehabilitation programs for Refugees, etc), the need to Protect the most Vulnerable People, etc.. The Strasbourg/UNCHR move on Refugees comes just after Battaini-Dragoni opened also CoE's Ministers of Justice Conference in Vienna, Austria, as well as another landmark PanEuropean Conference on CoE's Youth policies at Saint Petersburg, Russia, shortlt before CoE's Youth Assembly meets, at the beginning of October, in Strasbourg, at the eve of the 1st World Democracy Forum, (comp. "EuroFora"s recent NewsReports on CoE's Youth policies, the WDF, etc).

 

    CoE's new deputy Secretary General was together with the current President of CoE's Ministerial Comittee, the Albanian Ambassador Margarita Gega (May - November 2012), who stressed also he Country's past experience in welcoming many Refugees, f.ex. among Jewish immigrants earlier, followed by Kosovo populations, etc., and promissed CoE's highest Political body's support to UNHCR's activities in the field of Refugees' protection, as she stressed while also chairing the Concluding session of Strasbourg's International Conference on Refugees' Right to Work, later this Afternoon.

    As for the "Cultural" point of view, Ambassador Gega, replying afterwards to an "EuroFora"'s question, explained that a particularly beautiful Exhibition of superbe Albanian Natural and Historic Landscapes, in front of CoE's Assembly's Hemicycle, where many huge Photos picture Ancient Greco-Roman Monuments in splendid White Marble, Ancient former Christian Churches already built many Centuries ago in eye-catching Natural landscapes of the "Country of the Eagles" etc., serve to remind the fact that "our Country and People have a real European Identity, stemming already since very Ancient Times", as she rightfully said for that unquestionably geo-politicaly European part of the Western Balkans; whose Progressive Integration into the EU is a widely shared and uncontested principle, which should normally have been already put into real practice, if Past Conflicts in the Ex-Yugoslavian region (which had also provoked the Biggest recent Waves of Refugees in Europe's Modern History) hadn't, in the meantime, Delayed the Historic process of Europe's ReUnification, which has, forrtunately, been Positively re-launched during the recent years for the benefit of all Countries in this Historically European Area, of great Strategic Interest for the entire EU.