Paris, 24/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - As we mentioned, at its session in Paris from 5 to 8 June, the Assembly of the Western European Union will devote a full day - Wednesday 7 June - to the "parliamentary dimension" of European Security and Defence Policy, and, on that occasion, should hear a speech by President Chirac (France takes on the EU Presidency from 1 July). The Assembly has also invited the Presidents of the European Parliament, Portuguese and Italian Parliaments to take part in the debate, which follows on the heels of the "Lisbon Initiative" o last March (see EUROPE of 19 May, p.5, for the setting up of a Steering Committee to prepare the creation of an Interim European Security and Defence Assembly, Committee on which the Assembly's President, Mr. Buehler, has said he would also like to invite a member of the European Parliament to sit). Here is the session's agenda:
Monday 5 June: - speech by Assembly President Klaus Buehler: - report by Lluis Maria de Puig (Spain, Socialist) on the effects of including certain WEU roles in the European Union; - report by Guillermo Martinez Casan (Spain, People's Party) and Franciszek Adamczyk (Poland, Electoral Solidarity Action) on WEU Associate Members (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Norway and Iceland) and the new European security architecture; speech by WEU Council President, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama.
Tuesday 6 June: - report by Sydney Rapson (UK, Labour) on the new tasks of European armed forces and the collective capabilities required to accomplish them; - speech by Portuguese Defence Minister Julio de Castro Caldas, co-president of the WEU Council (or his representative); - report by Jean Valleix (France, RPR) on the new tasks of the WEU Satellite Centre of Torrejon; report by Vera Squarcialupi (Italy, Democratic Left) on parliamentary diplomacy - role of international assemblies - report by Francisco Arnau Navarro (Spain, Socialist) and Vitezslav Matuska (Czech Republic, Social-Democrat Party) on studies institutes and research into security and defence in associate member countries.
Wednesday 7 June, day devoted to "Towards the European Security and Defence Assembly"; - presentation of the Lisbon Initiative by Klaus Buehler; - speech by Javier Solana, WEU Secretary General and High Representative for Cfsp; - speeches by guest speakers, especially the Presidents of the EP, Nicole Fontaine, of the Portuguese Parliament, Antonio de Almeida Santos, of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Luciano Violante; - at 15.00 hrs., speech by President Chirac; - adoption of the draft mandate of the Steering Committee of the Interim European Security and Defence Assembly.
Thursday 8 June: - first meeting of the Steering Committee; - debate on topical issues; - report by Jan Dirk Blaauw (Netherlands, Liberal) and Gerrit Vaslk (Netherlands, Socialist Party) on implementing the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe; - report by Jacques Baumel (France, RPR) and Andras Barsony (Hungary, MSZP) on Kosovo (military and security aspects).