"Towards the decriminalisation of slander": this is the first debate and the starting point of the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), gathered in Strasbourg this week. This morning, the MEPs coming from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe will also discuss the "notion of preventative war". Then, " Vuk Jeremi, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs and current president of the Committee of Ministers, will list the next tasks to be carried out by the CoE. In the afternoon, two debates will be held (with the attendant solutions) on subjects that the MEPs have defined as "hot" and "awkward". The agenda of PACE covers such subjects as "Prostitution, what position should be taken?"; "The risks of creationism in education". In yesterday’s speech at Parliament, the new Turkish president Abdullah Gul stated: "It is our duty to guarantee stability in Europe by putting an end, in a peaceful way, to any unsettled regional conflict, fighting discrimination and terrorism, and promoting intercultural dialogue". In addition, Gul called his country "a pluralist, inclusive and tolerant country" and said he is "sure the level of maturity reached by democracy in Turkey will enable us to effectively cope with any unresolved issue relating to human rights".
