“The head of state congratulated Alain Berse on taking office and thanked Ukraine for effective support from the Council of Europe, its participation in the implementation of the Peace Formula and the principled position of the Secretary General in the face of full-scale Russian aggression.”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berse, who is in Ukraine on a visit.
The head of state congratulated Alain Berse on taking office and thanked Ukraine for effective support from the Council of Europe, its participation in the implementation of the Peace Formula and the principled position of the Secretary General in the face of full-scale Russian aggression.
Separately, Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted that Alen Berse plans to visit communities liberated from Russian occupation, where he will be able to see with his own eyes the consequences of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation.
The President emphasized that it is important to bring Russian criminals to justice, and noted that it is necessary to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression as soon as possible.
“Ukraine proceeds from the fundamental need to bring to justice all Russian war criminals who killed and continue to kill Ukrainians. There should be no exceptions, immunities or other restrictions,” he stressed.
The head of state noted the role of the Council of Europe in creating the Register of Damages as a component of the international compensation mechanism. Ukraine is counting on the establishment of the Commission for reviewing applications and the Compensation Fund, as well as on the leadership of the Council of Europe in this process. The President emphasized that the Fund should be filled with confiscated and frozen Russian assets.
Separately, during the meeting, they discussed the release of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia. The President congratulated the Council of Europe on joining the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and noted the adoption of relevant resolutions by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Among the other topics discussed during the meeting is the practical support of Ukraine by the Council of Europe, in particular in the areas of human rights protection, ensuring the rule of law and the development of democratic institutions.
