On Monday 23 February, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset issued a statement stressing the importance of a “sustainable peace”, i.e. one “built by Ukraine, with Europe, and grounded in law”.
In this statement, Alain Berset confirms the implementation of an ‘Action Plan’, on an unprecedented scale, designed to support Ukraine’s path to EU membership by anchoring it “in democratic standards, the Rule of law and human rights”.
“This Action Plan is not technical assistance”, he adds, “it is a cornerstone of Ukraine’s reconstruction and of Europe’s long-term security architecture”.
He also stressed that: “Peace will not be secured by declarations alone”, it will be secured “by law, institutions and sustained political commitment”.
In this context, and in full accordance with its mission, “the Council of Europe is shaping the legal and institutional foundations on which Ukraine’s peace and recovery will stand, from accountability mechanisms to democratic reform, from human rights protection to anti-corruption standards”.
It will remain “fully engaged, not only until the war ends, but until justice is delivered and a just and lasting peace is firmly secured”, promises the secretary general of the Strasbourg-based organisation.
Link to the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/kvc (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)