Mr. Chairperson,

We warmly welcome Madame Secretary General, H.E. Marija Pejčinović Burić and thank her for the comprehensive and thought-provoking statement delivered earlier today. 

Our delegation supports the existing format of cooperation between both Organizations that envisages the exchange of knowledge, good practices and experience in main areas. We welcome that representatives of the OSCE and Council of Europe participate in different thematic events, including those organized by the ODIHR and HCNM. 

We strongly support the Council of Europe’s activities, which have been undertaken since the beginning of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. In particular, we are grateful for the support provided to the Ukrainians who were forced to leave their country because of the invasion, the focus on our children who were forcibly deported to russia and the Crimean Tatars whose rights and freedoms have been systematically violated by russia since 2014. 

The Organization’s activities in other countries, such as its support to the victims of the earthquake in Türkiye, are also highly commendable. 

On 16-17 May, in Reykjavik, the Council of Europe Summit will be held, and we welcome the intention to dedicate the focus of this event to our country. It is crucial that the Organization’s leadership position remains clear and determined - ensuring accountability for all crimes that are committed by russia in Ukraine will contribute to reverse the current backsliding on human rights. 

I would like to remind that this backsliding started much earlier than the russian aggression against Ukraine. We all were witnesses of how putin’s regime was gradually destroying independent media and journalism, impartial and fair justice as well as political opposition in russia. 

In parallel, the same russian regime since February 24, 2022, has been conducting the full-scale war against Ukraine. 

All these russia’s activities are always accompanied by various crimes, committed by the russian troops in all temporary occupied territories of Ukraine. Wherever there are armed russians, the crime is committed.  

What continues in russia itself is a clear demonstration that blatant and systematic violations of human rights left with impunity, finally results in the establishment of a dictatorial regime that one day decides to invade other countries. 

The verdict of the russian court on sentencing Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25-year imprisonment for speaking the truth about the russian army’s atrocities in Ukraine is the last prominent example of the permissiveness of the kremlin regime in its policy of destroying any kind of dissent. 

Similar disgraceful cases of the so-called sentencing systematically take place in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, where the russian occupants try to break down the resistance of the local population by intimidating and persecuting the most active ones.

Dear Madame Secretary General,

We welcome your strong stewardship of the Council of Europe on the matter of the ongoing russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and your personal involvement to this end. 

During your visits to Borodyanka, Irpin in May last year as well as your recent visit to Chernyhiv region this year you saw with your own eyes the scale of the russian atrocities, which are completely inhuman. What you saw in the liberated Ukrainian towns proves that all principles and commitments, the international order was based on after the World War II, have been undermined by russia’s war. 

We appreciate that the Council of Europe is already working on the further establishment of a register to record and document evidence and claims for damage, loss or injury as a result of russian aggression against Ukraine. To set up such a register is highly important not only because of necessity of holding russia fully accountable for all its crimes in Ukraine, but also for ensuring justice and support for victims of the russian aggression. The mentioned Joint Action Plan is also important contribution in this regard. 

In closing let me express my gratitude for leadership and commitment demonstrated by the Council of Europe, and you personally, dear Madame Secretary General, during participation in the Conference on Black Sea Security of the International Crimea Platform, which took place in Bucharest just recently. 

This once again clearly confirms that the Council of Europe stands with Ukraine by its real actions. 

Thank you, Mr Chairperson.