Brussels, 19/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The ministers of the member states of the Council of Europe and the representatives of the European Commission and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are to meet in Strasbourg on Wednesday 20 October to examine the situation of the 11 million Roma who, according to estimates, are today living in Europe. On the initiative of Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, governments should reaffirm their common resolve to combat discrimination against the Roma and to help improve the Roma's economic and social integration. Thorbjorn Jagland will also put forward new initiatives to be taken in the field of education, housing, justice, health, gender equality and participation in civic life. At the end of the meeting's business, participants should adopt their final statement.
The meeting will be held under the aegis of the president of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Antonio Miloshoski, Foreign Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
A bilateral meeting between Thorbjorn Jagland and Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the Commission responsible for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, will be held at 12.00pm. This will be followed by a press conference with the two personalities at 12.30pm.
Those attending the meeting on Wednesday include Rudko Kawczynsky, President of the European Roma and Travellers Forum, Pierre Lellouche, Secretary of State for European Affairs (France), Astrid Thors, Minister of Migration and European Affairs (Finland), Nicolas Schmit, Minister for Labour, Employment and Immigration (Luxembourg), Fehrat Dinosa, Minister for Human Rights and Minorities (Montenegro), Lionel Veer, Human Rights Ambassador (Netherlands), Birgitta Ohlsson, European Affairs Minister (Sweden), and Faruk Celik, Minister of State (Turkey). (G.B./transl.jl)