The need to investigate the war crimes committed in Ukraine and to bring those responsible to justice was underlined by Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, in his speech at the 132nd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which was held today in Turin marking the end of the six-month Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.
In particular, Mr. Varvitsiotis condemned the Russian invasion and expressed his support for the Ukrainian people and especially for the Greek Diaspora in Mariupol. He also stressed that we should be taught a lesson from the current situation in Ukraine. "This is a lesson regarding all authoritarian behaviors,” underlined the Alternate Minister. "Authoritarianism is fueled by a lack of basic principles: the principles of Democracy, the Rule of Law, and Human Rights, and can be seen not only within the countries but also internationally through revisionist policies, extreme nationalist attitudes, or even through the use of force," Mr. Varvitsiotis added. In this regard, he noted the Council of Europe's contribution to tackling these authoritarian policies and called for the implementation of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. "We want more cooperation and more effective monitoring of the implementation of our common principles," the Alternate Minister pointedly said.
In addition, Mr. Varvitsiotis referred to the special importance of the Istanbul Convention, which is a tool for combating domestic violence and violence against women and children, phenomena that showed increasing trends during the pandemic. Mr. Varvitsiotis called on all Council of Europe member states not only to sign but also to ratify and implement the content of the Convention.
Finally, Mr. Varvitsiotis congratulated the outgoing Italian Presidency of the Council of Europe on its work and welcomed the Irish, expressing his support for the next Summit of Leaders with concrete proposals and clear objectives.
May 20, 2022