On January 27, 1976, Federal Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher presented the activity report of the Committee of Ministers, which Genscher chaired, to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In his address to the Parliamentary Assembly, Genscher underscored the importance of the international organization founded in 1949. In particular, he praised the Council of Europe's “irreplaceable function” as a forum for parliamentary democracy based on the rule of law. As positive examples, Genscher cited contacts with Spain and Portugal, which were in the process of transition from dictatorship to democracy. He also emphasized the Council’s role in the realization of the Final Act (Helsinki Accords) of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and in the North-South Dialogue.