PACE meets to discuss Balkans, Belgrade parade

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is meeting and according to reports, will "requests an urgent investigation of the Jarinje incident". At least seven Serbs and four KFOR soldiers were injured, the Russian international news agency RIA Novosti reported. PACE meets to discuss Balkans, Belgrade parade The report dubbed 'Political Situation in the Balkans' that will be discussed by PACE today expresses concern over the situation in the region and requests that an objective investigation urgently be carried out regarding the incident, the agency said. The report that RIA had insight into also calls on the citizens of Kosovo to demonstrate restraint and start cooperating with KFOR without delay. In addition, PACE calls on the Belgrade and Pristina authorities to restore dialogue with the mediation of the European Union in all unresolved issues. Apart from the situation in northern Kosovo, the report covers the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Albania, the Russian agency reports. Parade ban harms democracy A group of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has stated that Serbia's recent decision to ban the 2011 Pride Parade is a great step backwards in democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The decision by the national security council to ban the parade because of threats of violence from extremist groups is a great step backwards for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Serbia, says the declaration signed by 21 PACE members. They called on the Serbian authorities to take the necessary steps to protect the freedom of movement and speech of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender community and ensure that those who threaten with violence or resort to it are punished, and not those who wish to exercise their rights. The PACE members also want the Serbian government to take action and reduce the level of homophobia and trans-phobia in the society, in accordance with the Council of Europe recommendations on how to fight discrimination that is based on sexual orientation. The declaration was posted on the Council of Europe website on Wednesday. The PACE members who signed it come from Sweden, Iceland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Norway.

PACE meets to discuss Balkans, Belgrade parade

The report dubbed 'Political Situation in the Balkans' that will be discussed by PACE today expresses concern over the situation in the region and requests that an objective investigation urgently be carried out regarding the incident, the agency said.

The report that RIA had insight into also calls on the citizens of Kosovo to demonstrate restraint and start cooperating with KFOR without delay.

In addition, PACE calls on the Belgrade and Pristina authorities to restore dialogue with the mediation of the European Union in all unresolved issues.

Apart from the situation in northern Kosovo, the report covers the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Albania, the Russian agency reports.

Parade ban harms democracy

A group of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has stated that Serbia's recent decision to ban the 2011 Pride Parade is a great step backwards in democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The decision by the national security council to ban the parade because of threats of violence from extremist groups is a great step backwards for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Serbia, says the declaration signed by 21 PACE members.

They called on the Serbian authorities to take the necessary steps to protect the freedom of movement and speech of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender community and ensure that those who threaten with violence or resort to it are punished, and not those who wish to exercise their rights.

The PACE members also want the Serbian government to take action and reduce the level of homophobia and trans-phobia in the society, in accordance with the Council of Europe recommendations on how to fight discrimination that is based on sexual orientation.

The declaration was posted on the Council of Europe website on Wednesday. The PACE members who signed it come from Sweden, Iceland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the UK, Germany, Hungary, Ireland and Norway.