Parliamentary Assembly

ISTANBUL - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) has paved the way for stability, prosperity and peace in the wider Black Sea region, Igor Becic, head of Serbia's permanent parliamentary delegation to PABSEC, said in Istanbul.

On Thursday, Becic attended meetings marking the organisation's 25th anniversary.

Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu says the future of Romania is greatly linked to stability and development in the Mediterranean region, and the current relations between Romania and the countries in this region are all the more stronger for being "cemented by the bonds that exist at the human level."

BELGRADE/STRASBOURG - The Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will on Wednesday debate the security situation in Kosovo.

PACE Vice President Marija Obradovic, who is a member of the Serbian delegation, says Pristina has no support for a bid for Council of Europe (CoE) membership.

Mijatovic was elected by Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) at its plenary session in Strasbourg, for a non-renewable term of six years starting on April 1, 2018, the CoE announced.

She obtained 107 of the votes cast in the second round, a relative majority. Pierre-Yves Le Borgn' (France) obtained 103 votes and Goran Klemencic (Slovenia) obtained 19 votes.

The Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will on Wednesday discuss the security situation in Kosovo.

Marija Obradovic, a member of Serbia's delegation to this organization and PACE vice-president, says that Pristina has no support whatsoever to apply for membership in the Council of Europe (CoE).

Bosnia's Foreign Ministry on Monday confirmed that Milica Markovic, an MP in the House of Representatives and a member of parliament's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was being investigated for possible corruption.

The Interparliamentary Union (IPU) and Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) will launch a regional report on sexism, harassment and violence against women lawmakers and personnel within European parliaments in January 2018, PACE General Rapporteur on violence against women Gülsün Bilgehan has stated.

Jordi Roca, a Catalan member of the Spanish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), is the new rapporteur for Kosovo.

He will write the next report on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija about respect of human rights, the rule of law, and achieving the CoE standards, the Serbian National Assembly has announced.

Stella Kyriakides from Cyprus, was elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

She will be the 30th President of PACE since 1949, the first Cypriot, and the third woman to take up the post.

A former Turkish judge was shortlisted for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize 2017, alongside two others from Austria and Hungary. 

Murat Arslan, who has been under arrest since 2016, is described by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as "a well-known and reputed judge."