In a communication to the Parliamentary Assembly, the Luxembourg Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, presented the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. He reiterated Luxembourg's commitment to continued support for Ukraine as one of the main priorities.
He welcomed the work on the Register of Damage for Ukraine, the establishment of a claims commission and the discussions under way on the creation of a special tribunal to judge Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine. He insisted on the need to hold the persons responsible for the crimes perpetrated in Ukraine to account.
Addressing the situation in Georgia, he expressed concern about the recent violence against peaceful protesters, emphasising that such acts must be strongly condemned. The Council of Europe has a key role to play in helping Georgia to meet its obligations as a member state, ensuring that human rights are respected and democratic institutions are protected.
In the area of co-operation, Mr Bettel welcomed the adoption of an action plan with a budget of €30 million for the Republic of Moldova (for 2025-2028), along with the resumption of activities under the action plan for Azerbaijan.
"The Council of Europe must continue to be a platform for dialogue," said the Minister, pointing out nonetheless that all states must meet their international obligations, including the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Xavier Bettel also welcomed the initiative of the Secretary General, Alain Berset, to launch discussions on a future action plan to revitalise democracy in Europe.
Lastly, he emphasised how determined the member states were to provide the organisation with the necessary means to continue implementing the undertakings made at the Reykjavik Summit in May 2023. The forthcoming meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, to be held in Luxembourg on 13 and 14 May 2025, will be an opportunity to review progress made in implementing the decisions taken in Reykjavik.
