Press release of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Beijing, 16 September 1996
N° 3

THREE NEW PARLIAMENTS JOIN IPU

The Inter-Parliamentary Council, the governing body of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), today admitted by acclamation three new members: the parliaments of Kyrgyzstan, Guinea and Mauritius.

At the same time, the Council decided to suspend the affiliation of the parliament of Burundi since that parliament had ceased to function. It expressed the hope nevertheless that “a legislative institution will be promptly re-established in Burundi and that the Group will resume its place within the Inter-Parliamentary Union”.

These changes bring the IPU membership up to the record level of 135 national parliaments.

The IPU Council, which was meeting just before the opening of the 96th Inter-Parliamentary Conference, welcomed the participation as an observer of the parliament of Georgia, which has decided to become a member of the IPU at its next Conference, in Seoul, South Korea, in April 1997.

Following is the new list of IPU member parliaments, plus three regional parliamentary assemblies as associate members:

MEMBERSHIP (135)

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, San Marino, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Associate Members: Andean Parliament, Latin American Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact:
IPU Press Officer: Robin Newmann, tel.: 6494.1900; fax 6494.3300
Chinese Press Attaché: Gong Jianzhong, Press Councillor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tel. 6494.3400