When the Algerian authorities refused to accept the initial UK `Troika' delegation, Parliament's own delegation visit, agreed to by Algeria's foreign affairs minister, Mr Ahmed Ataff, in December 1997 takes on more significance. The objective of the visit is to engage in dialogue with all political forces represented in the Algerian Parliament; it does not constitute a committee of enquiry. President Jose Maria Gil Robles said the aim of the visit was to see what could be done to help stop the bloodshed.
The following MEPs are members of the delegation: President: Andre Soulier (F, EPP); Vice President: Johannes Swoboda (A, PES); Rapporteur: Daniel Cohn-Bendit (D, Greens); Members: Jorge Salvador Hernandez Mollar (E, EPP); Yannis Roubatis (Gr, PES); Michel Scarbonchi (F, ERA); Anne AndreLeonard (B, ELDR); Helene Carrere d'Encausse (F, UFE) and Mireille Elmalan (F, EUL/NGL).