OSCE PA President Severin to visit Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia

COPENHAGEN, 19 October 2001 (OSCE) - Between 21 and 29 October, Adrian Severin, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, to acquire a deeper insight into the present situation in the region and to have talks with Government Officials, Parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations and OSCE Mission members.

Mr. Severin, who represents more than 300 Members of Parliament from 55 OSCE participating States, is scheduled to meet in Azerbaijan with President Aliyev and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Guliyev. The OSCE PA President will have meetings with parliamentarians including the Speaker of the Milli Mejlis, Mr. Aleskerov, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Policy, Mr. Safarov, the Chairman of the Standing Commission of Foreign Affaris and Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Mr. Seidov, and the Chairman of the Standing Commission of Legal Policy and Institutional Building, Mr. Huseiynov. President Severin is also scheduled to meet with the opposition and NGOs. In addition, he will visit a settlement for internally displaced persons.

In Georgia, which Mr. Severin will visit on 24 and 25 October, he is scheduled to meet with President Shevardnadze and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Menagarishvili. President Severin will also have meetings with parliamentary representatives, including the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Zhvania, the Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Ms. Burjanadze, as well as the members of the Georgian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. Other meetings will include the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, the Patriarch of Georgia, opposition parties and NGO's. On the first day of this visit, the OSCE Mission to Georgia will provide the President with a briefing on its activities.

In Armenia, where Mr. Severin will be between 26 and 29 October, the OSCE PA President will meet President Kocharian, the Minster of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Oskanian, and the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr. Khachatryan. He will also hold talks with the Catholicos of All Armenians, as well as opposition parties and other political forces. During his visit to Armenia, Mr. Severin will be briefed by the OSCE Mission in Yerevan. He also intends to pay a short visit to Stephanakert in Nagorno Karabakh, in order to obtain an impression of the situation there, and to meet with officials.