Strasbourg, January 27, AZERTAC

An Azerbaijani delegation led by Chairman of the Milli Majlis committee for international relations and interparliamentary ties, head of the permanent delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Samad Seyidov is attending the PACE winter session in Strasbourg.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will elect its new President at the event.

The presidents of Georgia and Moldova, as well as the Georgian foreign minister and President of the Committee of Ministers and the newly-elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe will address the session and answer questions.

Debates on the agenda include a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations, the functioning of democratic institutions in Poland. There have been requests for a current affairs debate on "Recent developments in Libya and in the Middle East: what consequences for Europe?” and for a debate on "The implications of Brexit for migration."

MPs will also discuss threats to media freedom and journalists’ security, a report on “Democracy hacked? How to respond?” and the protection of freedom of religion in the workplace.

The Assembly will hold two joint debates – one on migrant trafficking and missing refugee and migrant children, and another on organ transplant tourism and trafficking in human tissues and cells.

Azerbaijani MPs will address the winter session as well.

An event to mark the 30th anniversary of the 20 January tragedy will be also held as a part of the session on January 28.

The winter session will last till January 31.

Shahla Aghalarova

Special correspondent