Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will visit the Council of Europe in Strasbourg today for the first time during his term in office. The occasion of his visit is the 60th anniversary of Germany’s accession to the Council of Europe. In a speech before the Parliamentary Assembly, the Federal Foreign Minister will emphasize the leading role of the Council of Europe in the enforcement of human rights, democracy and the rule of law throughout Europe.

In Strasbourg Minister Westerwelle will also visit the European Court of Human Rights and will meet with Jean-Paul Costa, the President of the Court. Additionally, he will hold meetings with Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly; Thorbjørn Jagland, the Secretary General of the European Council; and Antonio Milošoski, the current Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and Foreign Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.