The fate of Europe is now being decided in Ukraine, and Russia and Belarus must answer for their crimes, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Friday, presenting the priorities of Lithuania’s presidency of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Committee of Ministers.
“The fate of Europe is currently being decided in Ukraine. It is our fundamental obligation to support Ukraine in this fight until its victory, whatever victory takes,” Landsbergis told the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE in Vilnius.
“Our presidency priorities stem from a clear understanding that ongoing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is also an attack on our shared values. Therefore, full support to Ukraine defending itself, as well as ensuring accountability of Russia and its accomplices for international crimes is the primary focus for the Lithuanian presidency,” he added.
The Seimas is hosting on Friday a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), marking the first event under Lithuania’s presidency of the organisation’s Committee of Ministers.
Lithuania earlier this month took over the presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers from Liechtenstein for the next six months.
Over 30 events will be organised in Vilnius and Strasbourg, where PACE is headquartered, during the Lithuanian presidency, which will run until November 13.
The CoE is an international organisation which aims to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe. It was founded in 1949 and currently has 47 member states.
The organisation’s main institutions are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the European Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and the European Court of Human Rights.
This is Lithuania’s second presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers.
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