On 10 and 11 of May the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers will hold its 117th session in Strasbourg. State Secretary Raymond Johansen will be representing Norway.
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Just before the session, there will be held an accession ceremony for the Republic of Montenegro – the 47th Member State to join the Organisation.
Fiorenzo Stolfi, Foreign Minister of San Marino and outgoing chairman will preside the meeting. One of the main items on the agenda will be the relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union, including the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding which will constitute a new framework of enhanced cooperation between the two organisations. Under this item the Minsters will also look at the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, as well as the follow-up to the recommendations of the Report by Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, on the long term relationship between the two institutions.
The Ministers will also look at the consolidation of the Council of Europe system of human rights protection. Finally, the Committee of Ministers will examine follow-up to other priorities resulting from the Warsaw summit in 2005, such as the development of intercultural dialog and the internal reform process of the Organisation.
At the closing of the session, Serbia will take over the presidency of the Committee of Ministers and Vuk Draskovic, Serbian Foreign Minister and new Chairman will present his priorities for his six months of presidency.