Poroshenko, debut in Strasbourg

“I am deeply convinced that we have a real opportunity to begin a process of normalisation in Ukraine, and in relations between Russia and Ukraine”, said the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Anne Brasseur, in her opening speech of the summer plenary session (June 23-27), whose first day was “monopolized” by former Soviet Union. On June 24 the Assembly re-elected Thorbjorn Jagland (Norway) CoE Secretary General for a second term. Focus on Ukraine. For Brasseur, who welcomed the 14-point peace plan for the resolution of political and military crisis in east Ukraine, presented a few days ago by newly-elected president Petro Poroshenko, it is “essential” to implement these initiatives “as swiftly as possible, including in the field of political and institutional reform”. PACE president assured her full support to Kiev authorities, and voiced her deep concern over reports of the transfer to the rebels of heavy military equipment, including tanks which have apparently crossed the Ukrainian border from the Russian side. On the agenda of the meeting, adopted as usual in the opening session, is scheduled a debate for June 26 on “The political and humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Ukraine”, and the end of which newly-elected President Poroshenko will take the floor of the Assembly for the first time. Inclusive dialogue. Observers in Strasbourg agree that the Ukrainian presidential election of past May was “in line with international commitments and respected fundamental freedoms in the vast majority of the country”. The report, prepared by Andreas Gross (Switzerland, PACE representative), points out that the results of this election, “which was characterised by a high turnout”, have given the new President “the necessary legitimacy to establish immediately an inclusive dialogue with all citizens in the eastern regions and decentralise State power in order to preserve the unity of the country”. In the Assembly’s view, “there is no military solution to today’s crisis”. However, in order to consolidate the whole electoral process, PACE invited the Ukrainian authorities to adopt a unified electoral code, as there are “too many laws governing elections and they are unnecessarily complex and unclear”. The Assembly voiced concern for the place of money and oligarchies in politics in Ukraine and recommended increased supervision and transparency of political party and election campaign funding. Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. Combating corruption, including manipulation of sports competitions; promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue and reinforcing of social cohesion are among the priorities of the six-month CoE Azerbaijani presidency (May-November 2014), announced by Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Chairman of Committee of Ministers. During the meeting, Anne Brasseur and the president of the Kyrgyz Parliament, Asilbek Jeenbekov, signed the Partner for Democracy status, established by PACE in 2009, as Kyrgyzstan is “the only central Asian country to have opted for a political system based on parliamentary democracy. Kyrgyzstan is the third country to obtain this status after Morocco (2010), and Palestinian National Council (2011). Trafficking of human organs. In the limelight of the meeting figured also the question of the trafficking of human organs, to which the Social Affairs Commission of the Assembly reiterated its firm, unconditional opposition. Voicing concern over recent stands granting “a certain degree of marketing” as a way to address the “shortage of organs for transplants”, in a statement adopted with unanimous vote the Commission cut short: “Human organs cannot be the object of trade of source of profit or advantage, neither for the person from which the organs were taken nor for third parties”. The Assembly brings together 318 members representing national parliaments of all 47 CoE member States. The following political groups are present in the CoE: EPP/Dc (Group of European People’s Party) SOC (Socialist Group), GDE (Group of European democrats), ALDE (Alliance of Democrats and Liberals for Europe), GUE (Group for Unitary Left in Europe). PACE General Secretary is Wojciech Sawicki.