Inter-Parliamentary Union - British Group - Visit of a Parliamentary delegation from Albania, 16 to 17 March 2010


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Delegation Reports

Visit of a Parliamentary delegation from Albania

16 to 17 March 2010

Delegation

Government (Democratic Party)	Opposition (Socialist Party)
Mr Viktor Gumi MP Member of the Legal Affairs, Human Rights and Administration Committee	Mrs Arta Dade MP, Socialist Party of Albania (SPA), SPA International Secretary, Member of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy
Mr Gent Strazimiri MP, Member of the Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights Committee	Ms Ermonela Felaj MP, Socialist Party and Member of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Legal Issues and Public Administration
Mr Gent Strazimiri MP, Member of the Legal Affairs, Public Administration and Human Rights Committee Mrs Mesila Doda MP, Member of the Education and Public Information Means Committee	Mr Ditmir Bushati MP Socialist Party and Member of the Committee for Legal Affairs, Human Rights and Public Administration. Secretary in the Procedures and Voting Secretariat in Parliament. Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on European Integration.

The delegation arrived at Gatwick airport on Monday, 15 March and were met on arrival by H.E Mr Zef Mazi, Ambassador for Albania, and taken to the hotel where they were met by Charlie Holloway and Andrea Skyring from the British Group IPU.

The programme began on Tuesday morning with a meeting with David Wilshire MP, Co-Rapporteur monitoring Albania’s democratic development for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and a member of its Presidential Committee.

Following this, they met Michael Connarty MP, Chair of the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee.

The next meeting of the day was a presentation on parliamentary procedures by Liam Laurence Smyth, Clerk of Public Bills Committee. Following this, the delegation had the opportunity to meet Lutfi Vata, Director of Ardhmeria UK, a non-profit organisation whose fundamental work is based around education and training of the Albanian speaking people living in Greater London.

Following the morning’s meetings, Lord Rennard hosted a parliamentary lunch in the Peers’ dining room. He was joined by eight members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons and also by Emmie Fairburn, the Albania desk officer in the Foreign Office.

In the afternoon, the delegation met the Rt Hon Bruce George MP to discuss the recommendations from the ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) report in elections. The delegation ended the first day of the visit with an informal welcome reception hosted by Nigel Evans MP, Vice-Chair of the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in the IPU Room.

Wednesday morning began with a round table discussions meeting, Chaired by John Grogan MP, Chair of the Albania All-Party Parliamentary Group. Items on the agenda included: The importance of political dialogue - Opposition parties holding government to account, Albania’s accession to the EU and How Parliamentarians can best represent their constituents. After the discussions, the delegation observed Prime Minister’s Questions.

Lunch that day was themed on Human Rights and Women in Politics and was hosted by Madeleine Moon MP. Following lunch, the delegation had a meeting with the Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, and then moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a meeting with Chris Bryant MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The delegation then returned to Westminster for a meeting with the European Union Committee, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy (Sub Committee C) chaired by Lord Teverson.

In the evening, the delegation enjoyed a dinner hosted by the British-Albania Chamber of Commerce at the Institute of Directors.

On Thursday morning, the delegation departed from Gatwick back to Albania.