OSCE PA President Bruce George addresses Permanent Council

COPENHAGEN, 5 September 2002 - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) President Bruce George, MP (United Kingdom) delivered his first address to the OSCE Permanent Council this morning. In his speech, Mr. George informed the Permanent Council, the main regular decision-making body of the OSCE, about the Berlin Declaration on confronting terrorism, adopted during the Assembly's 11th Annual Session in Berlin, last July and outlined the main priorities of his Presidency.

"It is my intention to continue working for the development of the Parliamentary Assembly as a reliable partner contributing to the success of the OSCE", said Mr. George. "I will make every effort to increase the co-operation between the governmental structures of the OSCE and the more than 300 elected parliamentarians that provide the OSCE with a firm democratic foundation".

On the Berlin Declaration Mr. George emphasized that many of the Assembly's recommendations in the field of combating terrorism were aimed at improving co-operation and co-ordination between organizations, states and other actors. Mr. George welcomed comments to the Declaration from members of the Permanent Council and expressed his hope that such dialogue would continue each year after the OSCE PA Annual Sessions.

In his address, President George also referred to the appointment by OSCE Chairman-in-Office Antonió Martins da Cruz of OSCE PA Vice President Kimmo Kiljunen to lead the OSCE observation of the parliamentary elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 15 September.

On the question of Belarus, Mr. George informed the Permanent Council of the decision taken by the Assembly's Standing Committee to postpone the decision regarding the seating of the National Assembly until the Winter Session in February 2003.

Mr. George, who serves as Chairman of the British House of Commons Defence Committee, was elected on 10 July 2002, the last day of the Annual Session in Berlin, succeeding Adrian Severin, MP (Romania) a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. In this capacity, Mr. George represents more than 300 parliamentarians from the 55 OSCE participating States.