04.09.05 - 08.09.05

51st CPA Annual Conference

Fiji

One delegate and one observer will attend the 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Annual Conference on behalf of the CPA (Scotland Branch). The Scotland Branch will also send their representative to the International Executive Committee Meeting. A Notice was sent to all Members asking for nominations on Wednesday 25 May – closing date Wednesday 8 June.

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05.09.05 - 09.09.05

Swedish-British Parliamentary Society

Sweden

The Swedish-British Parliamentary Society from the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) are keen to visit Scotland and the Scottish Parliament for a study visit with particular emphasis on devolution within Scotland and the United Kingdom. Separate meetings have been requested with the Scottish Executive and others across Scotland. More details to follow.

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06.09.05

Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress

China

A delegation led by the Vice-chairman of Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress will visit the Scottish Parliament to learn about our legislative and legal processes.

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08.09.05

HE Federico Merré, Argentinean Ambassador to the UK

Argentina

HE Federico Merré, Argentinean Ambassador to the UK will visit Scotland to meet with Scottish Executive Ministers and to visit the Scottish Parliament to meet with the Presiding Officer for a courtesy call.

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6 schoolchildren from Mingu school in Malawi will visit as part of a wider visit to Scotland. This visit is the reciprocal visit for the one made by schoolchildren from Sanday Community Orkney in May this year. The visit is sponsored by the Scottish Executive The children will meet with Members and parliamentary officials from the Education Office to learn about devolution in Scotland. It is likely that a short meeting with Members from the cross party delegation who visited Malawi in February 2005 will be arranged as will a tour of the Scottish Parliament

Parliament of Valencia, Spain

Spain

Valencia

A delegation of Parliamentarians from the Committee of the Standing Orders in the Parliament of Valencia, Spain, will visit the Scottish Parliament to meet with MSPs to discuss the Scottish Parliament's Standing Orders, legislation and the Code of Conduct for Members.

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The visit is part of an international programme which seeks to provide a unique opportunity to children, students and youth to exchange their experiences and strategies they employ to confront local and universal challenges. Part of the programme is to visit and interact with Parliaments, and other institutions of democracy throughout the world to share ideas and exchange viewpoints on confronting global challenges. The Scottish Parliament has been chosen as part of this programme. In addition to meeting with clerks to discuss a number of areas it is likely that the delegation will meet a number of Scottish youth organisations including Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament

20.09.05

Festival of Food

Japan

As part of the 2005 EU-Japan Year of People to People Exchanges, the Consulate General of Japan aims to organise a Festival of Food, with the aim of introducing the native dishes of Japan and some EU Nations to Scottish people in a lively and festive atmosphere with a view to promoting deeper understanding and closer relations between the Scotland Japan and the nations of the European Union. It is also hoped that the target audience would include many ordinary citizens of Scotland. The Consul General hopes to invite over 200 people with chefs from a few Member European States bringing their own ingredients in order to prepare their respective native dishes

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The Governor of Upper Austria, Dr Josef Puhringer, will visit the Scottish Parliament with a delegation from the Upper Austrian Technology and Regional Development Agency. The delegation also includes the Deputy Governor of Upper Austria, the Minister of State for Economic Affairs and a Member of the Bundesrat responsible for Economics, Tourism, Science and Research, Dr Ruperta Lichtenecker. The visit is part of an overall study programme in Scotland following the news that Scotland was named "European Region of the Future 2004/2005" by the Financial Times. The visit is brief and will mainly include a courtesy call with the Presiding Officer and a meeting with the Convener and Members of the Enterprise and Culture Committee to discuss the Committee's work in the areas of the Scottish economy, enterprise and industry, as well as Scotland's experience of devolution

23.09.05

CORPER II

National

Visit by the 25 Permanent Representatives to the EU to the Scottish Parliament. The visit, once confirmed, will include a lunch with the Rt Hon George Reid MSP, Presiding Officer and other Members followed by meetings, presentations etc.

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