Paris, 3 May 2005. – The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yuliya Tymoshenko, and the President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic, will be among the key speakers at the upcoming plenary session of the Assembly (13-15 June 2005 at the Palais d’Iéna in Paris).
President Mesic’s speech is scheduled for Tuesday, 14 June 2005 at 10.00.

Prime Minister Tymoshenko is also scheduled to address the Assembly on Tuesday, 14 June 2005 at 11.30.

The first part of the Assembly’s 51st plenary session will start with the opening speech of President Stef Goris on Monday, 13 June 2005 at 15.00. Representing the WEU/EU Presidency, the Luxembourg Defence Minister, Luc Frieden, will then (Monday, 13 June 2005 at 15.30) present the annual report of the WEU Council to the Assembly and speak about recent ESDP developments.

The incoming WEU/EU Presidency (United Kingdom) will send a Minister (address scheduled for Wednesday, 15 June 2005, name and exact time will be announced in due course). The United Kingdom will take over the WEU/EU Presidency on 1 July 2005.

On Wednesday, 15 June 2005 at 17.00, the Director of the EU Satellite Centre, Frank Asbeck, will address the Assembly and members of the European Parliamentary Space Groups, which will be meeting in Paris for the 7th European Interparliamentary Space Conference.

The draft order of business and a list of reports to be presented during the plenary session are available on the Assembly’s website. Reports include recommendations on the “European Security Strategy”, on “Security cooperation between the EU and its eastern neighbours”, on “Developments in the Broader Middle East”, on “Satellite verification of arms control and non-proliferation” and on “European network-centric capabilities”.