In a statement issued on Tuesday 8 March, the Secretary General (SG) and the Presidents of the Committee of Ministers (CM) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) reaffirmed their common position on Russia's “unprovoked aggression” against Ukraine and their “unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”. They also issued a warning to Moscow, which had already lost its right to representation in the organisation at the end of February (see EUROPE 12899/9).
“We once again call on the Russian Federation to stop its aggression, return to the path of diplomacy and fully recommit to European values. We will continue to follow the situation closely and remain committed to taking further measures”, write Maria Pejčinović Burić (SG), Luigi Di Maio (Italian CM Chair) and Tiny Kox (PACE).
In concrete terms, these “further measures” have been under discussion since last week and consist of triggering the Russian Federation’s exit from the Council of Europe.
A further meeting is scheduled for Thursday 10 March in the Committee of Ministers on this subject. It will be followed by an extraordinary session of the Assembly, announced for 14 and 15 March.
The three signatories of the Declaration also call on Russia to “implement the interim measures indicated by the European Court of Human Rights on 1 and 4 March 2022”, namely respect for the right to life, protection of civilians, preservation of health facilities and access to essential supplies, and “the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)