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Chişinau, 6 November 2003Mr. Chairman,Dear Ministers,Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, One and a half year ago Lithuania had the honour of hosting the 110th Committee of Ministers session in Vilnius. Referring to our experience, we were happy to support the initiative of Moldova to host a session in Chisinau. We sincerely believe in the merit of bringing Council of Europe closer to the peoples of Europe, to its new member states, having closer look into their achievements and problems. I would like to congratulate Moldova on the successful chairmanship and organization of the session in Chişinau. Experience gained and further determination to integrate the values and principles of this organisation should be noted and further pursued by Moldovan authorities. Using this opportunity I would like to share with you our appreciation of the fact that the Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concerning the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, signed in Vilnius on May 3, 2002, entered into force on July 1, 2003. I am happy to inform you that the Parliament of Lithuania has ratified this Protocol on October 16, 2003For Lithuania, as a future member of the EU, the question of the relations between the EU and the Council of Europe is essential. (Further arrangements is a question which merits our profound discussion, which possibly could explored after the Intergovernmental Conference of the EU.) Lithuania would welcome the reinforced ties of the EU with the Council of Europe based on the common values of respect for human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law. The Third Council of Europe Summit could address the question of reconfirmation of the leading role of the Council of Europe as a principal standard setting institution for issues of pluralist democracy, rule of law and protection of human rights, its future tasks and priorities as well as the nature of relationship with other organisations. Also, I would like to support the proposal that the Summit takes place in Warsaw and why not during Polish chairmanship of the CM of the CoE. Yet today I would like to limit myself to a couple of concrete proposals on the immediate perspectives of the cooperation between the two organizations:We firmly believe that the Council of Europe has a vital role to play in the Wider Europe - New Neighbourhood initiative of the EU. After all, this initiative directly converges with the goal of the Council of Europe in building Europe without dividing lines. While nobody doubts the role of the CoE in building common legal space, united by pluralist democracy and respect for human rights, we also think that the Council of Europe valuable experience in transfrontier and regional cooperation, as well as in social area should be of great use to the Wider Europe – New Neighbourhood initiative.On our part after initiating the opening of the Special Account for the Regional Cooperation in the Council of Europe, we started successfully using it for strengthening regional dimension of the organisation. The next concrete example of our initiatives could be a conference on Euroregions that Lithuania intends to organize within the framework of the Council of Europe next year. We think that Euroregions are a unique tool that can help uniting regions both sides of the emerging EU borders. We think that this activity merits to be included in the joint Council of Europe – European Commission programmes. Upon the timely call of the Parliamentary Assembly we all in the Committee of Ministers have discussed the possible Council of Europe contribution to the development of geographically specific region of Europe - the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. We strongly support the joint Council of Europe – European Commission programmes in this regard.Also, I would like to note with particular appreciation the Chisinau Political Declaration on Transfrontier and Interterritorial Cooperation Between the States in South - Eastern Europe, to be adopted today, as a expression by the states of South -Eastern Europe and neighbouring states of willingness and understanding of the real need to develop and deepen their cooperation at cross-border and inter-territorial level. I hope that the Vilnius Declaration on Regional Cooperation served as an inspiration for these developments. Lithuania is ready to share her own positive experience in developing regional co-operation with the countries of South – Eastern Europe. Trafficking can be called as one of the major human rights challenges of the twenty-first century. Therefore, Lithuania particularly supports the drafting of a European convention on trafficking in human beings, which could be prepared for signature at the Third Summit. Protecting the human rights and dignity of trafficked persons must be at the centre of every measure taken.Finally, I would like to express our best wishes for incoming Dutch Chairmanship.Thank you.