Zelensky meets with CoE Secretary General

That’s according to the President’s Office, Ukrinform reports.

The president noted the rapid and effective response of the Council of Europe to Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

The exclusion of the aggressor power from the said organization, which promotes the principles of human rights, the rule of law, and democracy, testified to the unity of European states in combating tyranny and dictatorship.

"I want to thank you for the fact that the Council of Europe became the first international organization to expel Russia for its actions," said the president of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with Marija Pejčinović Burić concrete ways for CoE to support Ukraine at this difficult time. The parties discussed, among other things, initiatives to establish a group of legal experts to assist the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as the launch of a new online platform Cities4Cities to support local communities.

One of the key issues for Ukraine is the protection of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories. In this regard, the ways of monitoring the situation by the Council of Europe were discussed.

"All gross human rights violations by the Russian occupation administration in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine must be recorded and punished in the future," the president stressed.

Zelensky called on the Council of Europe to make every effort to stop Russia's illegal deportation of Ukrainian citizens from the temporarily occupied areas and combat zones, and to work with other international partners to ensure the return of Ukrainians from the aggressor's territory.