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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The delegation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) continued its parliamentary visit in Germany yesterday (March 4).
Delegation members visited the German Bundesrat (Upper House of the German Parliament) (the Bundesrat) in the morning. They toured the Bundesrat Building and met with the Head of Division for Parliamentary Relations and Language Service of the Bundesrat, Mr Claus Koggel. Mr Koggel shared the experience of the Bundesrat in taking various initiatives to foster the relations and maintain close links with other parliaments in Germany and abroad.
In the afternoon, delegation members met with the Vice-President of the German Bundestag (Lower House of the German Parliament) (the Bundestag) and also Member of the Council of Elders, Ms Ulla Schmidt. In addition to the matters relating to the operation of the Bundestag and the relationship between the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, Ms Schmidt also shared her experience with members in the work of the Council of Elders, which is a committee comprising veteran parliamentarians to assist in the work of the President of the Bundestag to ensure that the business of the Bundestag is coordinated effectively and conducted smoothly. The committee is also a forum where issues of disputes are mediated.
The delegation departed for Bremen, a federal state in Germany, after the meeting. Delegation members attended a dinner with the Director for Protocol and Foreign Affairs of the Senate Chancellery, Ms Birgitt Rambalski.
The delegation is led by Ms Emily Lau (Leader) and Mr Tommy Cheung (Deputy Leader). Other members include Mr Lee Cheuk-yan, Mr Chan Hak-kan, Mr Paul Tse, Mr Kenneth Leung, Mr Dennis Kwok, Mr Ip Kin-yuen and Mr Tang Ka-piu.
The delegation will continue its visit in Bremen today (March 5).
Ends/Thursday, March 5, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:21
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