The PAM – a platform for political dialogue and discussion

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MEDIA INFORMATION: 02/2008
ISSUED ON: 10/02/2008

Members of Parliament from Albania and Serbia had the opportunity to table the issue of the

Kosovo secession and air their respective views on the event during the meeting of the PAMs

Standing Committee on political and security related cooperation held at the PAMs

Headquarters in Malta earlier this month. The Committee was presided by Dr Mohammed Al-

Ziqrat, Head of the Delegation from the Jordanian parliament.

The Serbian Head of Delegation, Mrs Bojana Aleksic, reiterated that the action by Kosovo

violated UN Security Council Resolution 1244, contravened the Helsinki Final Act, other

international documents and also the Serbian constitution. Mrs Alecsic insisted that Serbia will

never accept the creation of the ethnically based Albanian state on its territory.

In his intervention the Deputy Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Mr Fatos Beja, pointed out

that it was first and foremost important to stress those elements that are in common rather than

emphasise the differences. He refuted the fact that the UN resolution guaranties the territorial

sovereignty of Serbia and reminded that many countries have recognized the independence

declared by Kosovo.

Another issue on the agenda was the Middle East which is dealt with within the Ad Hoc

Committee, which was presided over by Maltese MP Dr George Vella. Two distinguished guests

addressed the Committee, namely Sir John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary General for

Humanitarian Affairs and Relief Coordinator, and Mrs Molly H. Bordonaro, Ambassador of the

United States of America to Malta.

Mr Holmes, via a live video conference link with UN Headquarters in New York, briefed the

Mediterranean parliamentarians on his recent visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian

territories. Mr Holmes insisted on the fact that what was happening on the ground was visibly

disconnected from the negotiations at the political level. He made it clear that if this trend is not

reversed the negotiating process will face great difficulties. And his words were nothing less than

pre-emptive and prophetical considering the events on the following weekend after the bloody

incidents in Gaza.

On her part US Ambassador Molly Bordonaro spoke about the developments in the Annapolis

peace process and the road map to peace. She underlined the US commitment for a peaceful

settlement that respects the rights of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Both Mr Holmes

and the US Ambassador stressed how important the role of PAM is in supporting any effort in

this process in order to achieve a long term peaceful solution.

Other speakers during the Committee on political and security related cooperation were Mr Liviu

Vedrasco from the United Nations Pandemic Influenza Contingency and Mr Andrea Cellino

from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

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