Estonia hands over Council of Europe chairmanship to Cyprus
A ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Tuesday in which Estonia officially handed chairmanship of the council over to Cyprus.
All 47 member states of the Council of Europe took part in the ceremony, spokespeople for the organization said.
Before the ceremony, Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jürgen Ligi, as chairman of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, gave an overview of Estonia's achievements. Cyprus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides then introduced his country’s plans for the six-month chairmanship ahead.
During his visit to Strasbourg, Ligi also met with Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland.
Estonia’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe lasted from May 18 to Nov. 22. It was Estonia’s second chairmanship of the council; the country’s first took place from May to November 1996.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS