On 29 and 30 May three members of the International Secretariat paid a final preparatory visit to Brussels for the 15th Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to be held in the Belgian capital from 3 to 7 July. Deputy Secretary General Vitaly Evseyev, General Services Officer Kurt Lerras and Presidential Advisor Gustavo Pallarés met with the staff of the Belgian Federal Parliament to review and finalize all aspects of the Annual Session including the program and organizational modalities. Under a unique arrangement with the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Annual Session will be held on the premises of the European Parliament. The Secretariat team visited the European Parliament, which will provide excellent conditions for the Session.
During his visit to Brussels, President Hastings also met with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office to discuss matters regarding the OSCE and the PA, including preparations for the Assembly’s Winter Meeting in Vienna and election monitoring activities. Minister de Gucht has appointed President Hastings as his Special Coordinator for the Presidential elections in Belarus and the Parliamentary elections in Ukraine. While in Brussels President Hastings also met with the European Parliament’s Election Co-ordination Group to discuss co-operation in future election observation missions and with Mr. Edward McMillan Scott, Vice-President of the EP. The members of the International Secretariat met with the members of the Belgian Delegation Mr. Pieter de Crem and Mr. Francois-Xavier de Donnea as well as with the Secretaries General of both Chambers of the Belgian Parliament. They also had a meeting with the Head of Protocol of the European Parliament. The Assembly’s Annual Session in Brussels will coincide with the Belgian Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2006, reported the OSCE press office.
