Brussels, 05/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The former German foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, is to chair the group of eminent figures including Javier Solana (Spain), Emma Bonino (Italy), Danuta Hübner (Poland), Martin Hirsch (France), Edward Mortimer (United Kingdom, rapporteur), Timothy Garton Ash (United Kingdom), Ayse Kadioglu (Turkey), Sonja Licht (Serbia), Vladimir Lukine (Russia). Its mission is to seek responses to the threat to Europe of intolerance and discrimination. At the launch of this initiative in Brussels on Tuesday 5 October, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, explained that the “security and stability of Europe seem no longer to be played out between the states, but within their borders”. Joschka Fischer added that “living together within a multi-cultural and multi-religious society will be the key to preserving and developing the European model”. Once its work is done, the group will present recommendations to the Council of Europe at a ministerial conference to be held in Istanbul in May 2011. This initiative comes in the framework of the Turkish presidency of the Committee of the Ministers (November 2010-May 2011). (G.B./transl.fl)