To the attention of Mrs Benita FERRERO-WALDNER

State Secretary for Foreign Affairs

Brussels, July 1, 1998

Dear Minister, dear Mrs Ferrero-Waldner,

I have learnt with great satisfaction the declaration of the Council of Ministers of Luxembourg concerning the EU strong engagement for the universal abolition of death penalty and for the issue of the moratorium. This fact constitute not only a very good news for us who are fighting for so long for the definitive abolition of the death penalty, it also represents a very good starting point for the initiative concerning the adoption, by the UN General Assembly this year, of a resolution calling for a universal moratorium. I have no doubt reguarding the role you play and I would congratulate you.

Other good news are now coming from the authorities of Azerbajdzan, Armenia and Georgia. In the framework of the visit of the EP Transcaucasia Delegation, of which I am viceChairman, I had the opportunity to ask directly M. Geidar Aliev, President of Azerbajdzan, to Mr. Robert Kotcharian, President of Armenia and to Mr. Irakliy Menagarishvili, Foreign Affairs Minister of Georgia, if they thought that their countries could support the resolution calling for an universal moratorium during the next UNGA. Their answers were absolutely positive.

I also wish to inform you that I have tabled a question to the Council concerning the initiatives that the EU is going to take for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty and for the inscription of the item of the universal moratorium on the agenda of the next UNGA. I think it could be a good occasion to go further in the elaboration.

Best regards,

Olivier Dupuis

(Secretary of the Radical Party)