In Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland , the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, took part in the official handover ceremony for the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. For the coming six months, Latvia will be at the helm of the Committee of Ministers work.
The Minister drew attention to the fact that it would be Latvia’s second time chairing the organisation’s work since 1995 when Latvia became a member of the CoE. “The Council of Europe was founded to protect democracy, human rights and the rule of law. For almost 75 years, it has greatly contributed to the rules-based order in Europe. However, the international rules-based order has been fundamentally challenged by the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. Democracy and human rights are the bedrock of freedom and peace in Europe. They must never be taken for granted. Therefore, I welcome the Member states’ strong commitment to protect the standards and values of this organisation,” the Minister underlined.
Edgars Rinkēvičs affirmed that Latvian Presidency’s work will be guided by the decisions taken at the Fourth Summit of the Council of Europe as well as working closely with other Member states in order to strengthen the Council of Europe.
“Today, we have reconfirmed unwavering support to sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Council of Europe must continue support to Ukraine and its people as long as necessary. We condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Such a behaviour can never be normalised. Russia must comply with its international obligations and withdraw its forces from Ukraine, as well as from Georgia and Moldova. We must ensure comprehensive accountability. It means responsibility of Russia as a state for violations of international law. And it means individual liability for the most serious crimes of international concern. As Presidency, we intend to keep these issues high on the agenda. Russia must pay for the damages caused by the war against Ukraine. I welcome the first practical step towards future international compensation mechanism – the establishment of the Register of Damage. Latvia is among its founding members. As the Presidency, we will advance its operational launch,” the Minister emphasised.
#CoEReykjavikSummit LVCoE2023
https://www.mfa.gov.lv/…/foreign-minister-democracy-and…
Photo: Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Embassy of Latvia in Norway Latvijas pārstāvniecība Strasbūrā / Representation of Latvia in Strasbourg Council of the European Union
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