13th MEETING
Athens, 21-23 November 1997

Athens was the venue of the 13^th Meeting of the New European Left Forum, which was held on 21-23 November 1997. It was a well-attended meeting with some new elements on the agenda. This refers in particular to the dialogue on the problems of the Mediterranean and the prospects of Euro-Mediterranean co-operation. Also of special political significance was the adoption of an urgent appeal for Peace in the Middle East, which was published on November 29, 1997 to coincide with the UN Day of Solidarity with Palestine. On the final day the NELF members approved the proposal for Eco-taxes which had been discussed on previous meetings.

The 14^th NELF meeting will take place in June 1998 in Denmark and its preparatory Group consists of the SF/Denmark, PDS/Germany and SYN/Greece.

List of Participants

NELF Members
DENMARK	Socialist PeopleÆs Party	Pernile Frahm, member of the Executive Committee, former MP Per Henriksen, environmental and PR-secretary Thorstein Theilgaard, member of the Executive Committee and EUU-secretary
ESTONIA	Estonian Democratic Labour Party	Tiit Toomsalu, Chairman
FINLAND	Left Wing Alliance	Tapani Kaakkuriniiemi, member of the CC, Chairman of the International Section Paulina Murto-Lehtinen, member of the EU Section
FRANCE	CitizensÆ Movement	Alain Billon, National Secretary for the Mediterranean dialogue
GERMANY	Party of Democratic Socialism	Sylvia Yvonne Kaufmann, vice-President Petra Blass, Member of the Bundestag Dr.Karin Kulow Vera Vordenbaumen, WomenÆs section
GREECE	SYNASPISMOS	(See separate list)
HOLLAND	Groen Links/Green Left	Crista Vonkeman, member of the board Farah Karimi, member of the board
IRELAND	Democratic Left	Proinsias De Rossa, Leader Jim OÆDonnell, European Affairs Co-ordinator Delma Mc Devitt, WomenÆs section
ITALY	Movimento Comunisti Unitari	Giuseppe Napolitano, National Executive Board, responsible for organisation Andrea Costa, Foreign Affairs dpt
	Rifondazione Comunista	Marco Consolo, Member of the National Political Committee, responsible for international Co-operation. Maria Cristina Perugia, Member of the Central Committee and the International Relations Dpt.
NORWAY	Left Socialist Party	Kyrre Lekve, Chairman of the International Comittee Line Torvick, International Secretary, WomenÆs affairs secretary
SPAIN	Initiativa per Catalunya	Josep Vendrell, International Secretary Sergi Alegre, Environment Councilor of El Prat Council House, member of the Environmental Committee
	Izquierda Unida	Carlos Carnero, Foreign Policy Secretary,MEP Jose Cabo, member of the CC, Coordinator of the Foreign Policy Committee Kati Gutierez, Member of FC, Member of Vask country Parliament
SWEDEN	Left party	Herman Schmid, C.C member, International Relations dpt Annika Cullberg, WomenÆs Section
UNITED KINGDOM	Democratic Left	Rosemary Bechler, Editor of the "New Times"

Guests

(For the three days proceedings or specially for the Euro-mediterranean dialogue)

EGYPT
Amina Mohamed Shafik Yousef, Member of the Central Committee, El Tagamou Party
Naguib Fakhry, former Ambassador, President of the Egyptian organisation of Human Rights

ALBANIA

Socialist Party
Ilir Zela, MP, ╠P, member of Chairmanship
Flora Ylli Sakiqi, Secretary General of the Socialist WomenÆs Forum

Socialdemocratic Party
Ingrid Shuli, MP, Vice -chairman of Parliamentary Group, International Secretary
Engjell Bejtaj, MP, Interparliamentary Relations Secretary
Zhaneta Harka, General Secretary of Social Democratic Women Organisation (SDWA)
Xhuljeta Bequari, Vice President of SDWA
Shpresa Cela, member of the Head Committee of SDWA
Brizida Marku

Human Rights Party

Dimitri Stefo, Secretary General,
Nica Dhespo, President of the WomenÆs Forum in Tirana
Natasha Agora, member of the Presidency of the WomenÆs Forum

ALGERIA
Sadek Hadjeres, Political Scientist

AUSTRIA
Walfraud Stiefsohn, Vice President of the Communist Party
Walfraud Fritz-Klackl, member of the PB of the Communist Party

BULGARIA
Kr. Premianov, member of the Board of the Socialist Party

Cyprus
George Georgiou, member of the CC of AKEL
Eleni Kyprianou, member of the CC of AKEL, member of the Executive Bureau of the WomenÆs Organisation (POGO)
Vassos Lyssaridis, President of EDEK
Anna Yiannakou, Secretary General of the Socialist WomenÆs Movement
Costas Themistokleous, Secretary General of the United Democrats
Niyazi Kizilyurek, University Lecturer, Author

ISRAEL
Ran Cohen, Member of Parliament , member of the leadership of the MERETZ party

Italy
Gianfranco Brusasco, member of the International Relations Dpt - Mediterranean Desk, Partito Democratico della Sinistra (PDS)
Agostino Spataro, director of the Mediterranean Studies Centre

LEBANON
Hamid Saba, Communist Party

PALESTINE
Hani Al-Hassan, member of the CC of FATAH, responsible for International Relations

RUSSIA
Larissa Protchenko, Member of the CC, International Secretary of the Socialist Party of the Working People

TURKEY
Ertugrul Kurkcu, Founding member and member of the Executive Board of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP)

USA
Andrew Hammer, International Secretary of the Socialist Party

Participants from Greece

Delegation of SYNASPISMOS:

• Nicos Constantopoulos, President
• Stella Alfieri, MP, Member of the CPC
• Nicos Bistis, Member of the Political Secretariat, Responsible for Foreign Policy and European Affairs
• Fotiini Sianou, Member of the Political Secretariat, WomenÆs Section
• Eva Cotamanidou, Former MP, member of the Culture and Civilisation Dpt.
• Litsa Doudoumi, Member of the CPC, Secretariat of International Relations Dpt.
• Soula Panaretou, Head of the WomenÆs Section, Member of the CPC
• Aliki Papadomihelaki, Co-ordinator of the Foreign Policy Dpt.
• Electra Raizi, Member of the CPC, Thessaloniki SYN organisation
• Yiannis Tolios, Member of the CPC, Head of the Economic policy Dpt
• Panos Trigazis, International Secretary, member of the CPC
• Tassos Trikkas, Head of the Foreign Policy dpt., member of the CPC

Guests

• Christos Papoutsis, EU Commissioner
• Yiannis Souladakis, MP, Member of the Executive Bureau of PASOK
• Marietta Yiannakou-Koutsikou, MP, Secretary for foreign and European Affairs of the New Democracy party
• Manolis Bakopoulos, Member of the Political Secretariat of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DIKKI)
• Akis Gerontopoulos, ex-MEP, Press Secretary of Political Spring
• Yiannis Banias, Secretary of the Renovative Communist and Ecological Left (AKOA)

NGOs

• Theodoros Batrakoulis, International Relations analyst and researcher, Paris 8 University
• Mary Bossi, political analyst and researcher
• Lykourgos Kallergis, Former MP, Gen.Sec. of the Kallergis Foundation
• Panos Grigoriou, political analyst and researcher
• Vassilis Konstantineas, President of the Mediterranean Studies Foundation
• Stathis Loukas, director of the "Nicos Poulantzas" Society
• Harris Papamargaris, Middle East expert, Chairman of the Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity
• Despina Saggana, political scientist, "WomenÆs Rights watch" Committee
• Prof. Georgios Tsiakalos, President of the "Nicos Poulantzas" Society