PACE SUBCOMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS SITUATION IN MIDDLE EAST

MOSCOW, April 5, 2004 (RIA Novosti) - On Tuesday in Istanbul, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) subcommittee on the Middle East will discuss the situation in the Middle East, Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of the Federation Council International Committee and the deputy speaker of PACE, told RIA Novosti.

According to him, Lord Kilclooney will preside over the session.

Mr. Margelov said that the subcommittee is expected to form a PACE fact-finding mission to go to Israel and Palestine, concerning the aggravated situation there.

"I will remind you that the last mission of this kind was formed in 2002 after the Israeli Army operation in Jenin," he said.

According to Mr. Margelov, the decision about the length of the missions activity in the region will most likely be made at the next PACE session.

Experts from many countries, including Russia, and representatives of Palestinian and Israeli non-government organizations are expected to attend the PACE subcommittee's session in Istanbul.

Mr. Margelov will be the main speaker on Middle Eastern problems at this session of the subcommittee.