Dear President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Speaker of the National Assembly, Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General, Distinguished Members of the Parliamentary Assembly and the National Assembly, Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour and a genuine pleasure to speak before such a distinguished audience and I take this opportunity to welcome you to Ljubljana.

As you are aware, I took over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Organisation at the 119th Ministerial Session in Madrid on 12 May. I am convinced that the previous Spanish Chairmanship did a wonderful job, and Slovenia intends to follow in its footsteps, striving for frank and fruitful dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly.

First, let me briefly summarise the results of the Ministerial Session in Madrid regarding two important regional issues.

A number of decisions were adopted concerning the conflict in Georgia. The ministers supported the six-point Action Plan and the Secretary General’s further activities aimed at restoring democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Particular attention was devoted to the need to co-ordinate with other international organisations. We furthermore asked the Secretary General for quarterly reports on the human rights situation in the areas affected by the conflict.These decisions are also reflected in some of the recommendations by your Assembly. The Committee of Ministers intends to closely examine these recommendations and give detailed replies on the issue. Our objective is to provide you with these replies before the June Session.

Slovenia will continue the initiatives taken by previous chairmanships regarding Belarus. As was emphasised at the ministerial session in Madrid, we all look forward to the day Belarus is ready to join. I will personally attend the opening of the Information Office of the Council of Europe in Minsk in June, which represents a real step forward in strengthening the co-operation between Belarus and the Council of Europe. At the informal lunch in Madrid, all the ministers agreed on one issue: the Council of Europe is prepared to develop its relations with Belarus at a pace set by the country itself, with due respect to the Statute. I am acquainted with the decision by the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly on the renewal of the Special Guest Status of Belarus. I look forward to the approval at the Plenary Session and hope that a mechanism can be found to associate representatives of the extra-parliamentary opposition.

Mr President,

I cannot address the Standing Committee without touching on a pending decision which will have to be made by the Assembly: that is the election of the Secretary General.

Let me briefly recall the sequence of events:

In May 2007, the Ministers decided on the basis of the Juncker report – supported by the Assembly – to only nominate previous heads of state or government for the position.

The Deputies interviewed the four proposed candidates, and on 22 April decided by a large majority to include two of them in the draft resolution to be submitted to the Ministers for decision.

On 30 April, the Assembly adopted its Resolution 1665, and that evening a session of the Joint Committee took place.

Further on, Spain put the issue on the agenda of the Deputies again. In full knowledge of the views of the Assembly, the Deputies stood by their draft.

In Madrid, ministers largely opposed a discussion on the matter and in their resolution endorsed the proposal with two candidates who meet the so-called Juncker recommendation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I understand that the consultations with the Parliamentary Assembly may not have been entirely in accordance with the wishes of the Assembly.

However, the paramount concern of both the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly can only be that the Organisation gets the best possible Secretary General as soon as possible. This is of particular importance in the year when the Council of Europe celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Slovenia is well aware of the wish expressed by the Assembly to review the existing Regulations. It is true that they were adopted back in 1956, and it might be useful to look at them again, after the Assembly adopts its pending decision. In line with the ministers’ views expressed in Madrid, there is in my opinion no possibility of changing their decision, which was adopted according to the provision that at least two names must be recommended by the Committee of Ministers. The fact that two candidates with prominent political careers have been proposed reflects the interest of the member states to revitalise and reconfirm the role of the Council of Europe.

I propose that the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers keep in touch, and agree in a business-like manner on a timetable to make tangible progress on this issue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, let me just say that I look forward to my next meeting with the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg in June and I hope you will enjoy the rest of your stay in Ljubljana.

Allow me to give the floor to my colleague, Minister of Justice Aleš Zalar, who will outline the priorities of the Slovenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

Thank you.

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