Ambassador Holland thanks Minister Bettel for outlining Luxembourg's priorities at the Council of Europe, and for the close collaboration with the OSCE.
Thank you Chair. And may I express my condolences - and those of my delegation and country - to our Swedish colleagues for the tragic school attack this week. Our thoughts are with you and the families and friends of the victims.
Minister Bettel welcome to the Permanent Council. Thank you for your presentation and for your commitment to the work of the Council of Europe as Chair of the Committee of Ministers. The Council of Europe has been, and will continue to be, hugely important to the UK's human rights and foreign policy agenda.
The longstanding relationship between the OSCE and the Council of Europe is rooted in the promotion of human rights, democracy and rule of law - values that the UK is firmly committed to uphold. Respect for these common principles defines our shared endeavours in Vienna and in Strasbourg. Values such as the rule of law not only provide the freedoms which allow people to interact with each other in their day-to-day lives but also matter for growth, jobs and people's livelihoods.
We meet today at a particularly challenging time for European Security, with Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine about to enter a fourth year. We call on all OSCE participating States to uphold our common commitments to shared security on our continent. We must strengthen Ukraine's position to keep fighting through 2025 and beyond - for the sake of Ukraine itself, and Euro-Atlantic security.
The UK is proud to be Chair of the Conference of Participants for the Register of Damage for Ukraine. The Register, now with over 14,000 claims, serves as a significant step towards securing justice for the Ukrainian people.
The Council of Europe and the OSCE share much common ground - tackling serious organised crime and human trafficking, counter-terrorism, as well as promoting free and fair elections, media freedom, and gender rights. As both the OSCE and the Council of Europe face up to a series of common challenges this year, including a difficult security environment and - as you rightly say - the challenges of democratic backsliding, it is important that we continue to recognise each organisation's individual merits and distinctiveness. We need to work in a coordinated way to employ the unique set of instruments and tools which each organisation offers to its States.
Minister Bettel - like your country, the UK is, and will remain, a steadfast supporter of the work of both the Council of Europe and the OSCE. We offer you, and your team, our best wishes for your work throughout your Presidency.
