Strasbourg will host European summit of Presidents and Speakers

Baku. 9 September. REPORT.AZ/ The Presidents and Speakers of parliament from the 47 Council of Europe member states and many partner, observer and neighbouring countries, along with the Presidents of other international assemblies, will be meeting in Strasbourg on 15 and 16 September 2016 for a European parliamentary summit, held every two years, Report informs referring to the PACE press service.

Some 350 delegates are expected to attend the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). They will be discussing three current affairs issues:

- The migration and refugee crisis in Europe: role and responsibilities of parliaments, presented by Nikolaos Voutsis, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, and László Kövér, Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly.

- National parliaments and the Council of Europe: together promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, presented by Eiki Nestor, Speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, and Maja Gojkovic, Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly.

- Mobilisation of parliaments against hate, for inclusive and non-racist societies, presented by Norbert Lammert, Speaker of the German Bundestag, and Anne Brasseur, Ambassador of the Council of Europe’s “No Hate Speech” movement.

PACE President Pedro Agramunt and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will give the opening addresses on Thursday 15 September at 11 am.

The first European Conference of Presidents of Parliament was held in 1975. This event is held every two years, alternately in Strasbourg and in a capital of a Council of Europe member state.