Thorbjørn Jagland

Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjørn Jagland has called for a de-escalation of violence in Turkey, amid rising attacks across the country. 

Council of Europe (CoE) Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland announced that a Greek referendum would fall short of international standards if held as planned on Sunday.

According to international standards, a referendum should be held with at least two weeks' notice to allow sufficient time for discussion and international observers to organise the monitoring of the vote.

Associated Press on Tuesday, in an urgent dispatch, said a surprise referendum called by Greek PM Alexis Tsipras on the latest proposal reportedly tabled last week by Greece’s creditors does not comply with international standards.

The plebiscite is scheduled to take place on Sunday, just a week after it was announced.

Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will be paying a working visit to the Council of Europe's (CoE) headquarters in Strasbourg, May 27-28.

Photo credit: (c) ALEX MICSIK / AGERPRES STREAM

Ministers from 47 European nations agreed for the first time May 19 to harmonise their laws to stop so-called foreign fighters travelling to Iraq and Syria to join jihadist groups.

Social Democratic Party (PSD) Senator Titus Corlatean on Friday, at the invitation of the Chairmanship in office of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, will participate in the high level conference organised in Brussels on the topic "Tolerance trumps hate," informs a press release remitted to AGERPRES on Thursday.

Photo credit: (c) ALEX TUDOR / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Bulgaria's Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov and Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), have discussed Bulgaria's judicial reform strategy and the independence of the judiciary in the country.

Ivanov is on a two-day working visit to Strasbourg on March 16-17.

Leaders across the globe have reacted to the events of Thursday evening when prominent Russian oppositioner Boris Nemtsov was killed.

US President Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" in a statement and urged a "prompt, impartial and transparent investigation" .

The separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary is an indispensable principle in any democracy, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland has said during a visit to Turkey, adding that the country?s Constitutional Court must remain free.

The head of Europe's top human rights watchdog is set to visit Turkey to discuss the recent detentions of senior journalists thought to be linked to the movement of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland will visit to Turkey on Jan. 6-7, according to his spokesperson.