During a courtesy call meeting on 14 October, Secretary General Alain Berset and EU Ambassador Vesna Kos exchanged about the strategic partnership of the EU and the Council of Europe in many areas of common interest. They discussed current developments concerning the rule of law, democracy, EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine, EU enlargement, and the efforts towards effective multilateralism.
The cordial meeting between the Secretary General and the EU Ambassador highlighted the significant elements of convergence in the new political priorities of the EU and the Council of Europe. The EU Ambassador emphasised the noteworthy developments in the cooperation while referring to the high-level political dialogue, the EU accession to the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, the EU signature of the Convention on Artificial Intelligence, and the progress regarding the EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. She drew particular attention to the EU’s support to the Council of Europe’s action regarding the accountability for international crimes committed in Ukraine, noting that in July, the EU became a fully-fledged participant of the Register of Damage. Ambassador Kos expressed gratitude for the Council of Europe’s significant contribution to the EU Rule of Law and Enlargement reports.
The Secretary General acknowledged the unique character of the cooperation with the EU and expressed interest in strengthening the strategic partnership. He moreover pointed to his priority to develop an Action Plan for Democracy to revitalise democracy and uphold the unity of the European family in all its diversity and was keen to learn more about the EU’s efforts in the area of the defence and the promotion of democracy. Viewing the expansion of the Council of Europe’s visibility on the international stage, Secretary General Berset is interested in further exploring the possibilities for cooperation in multilateral organisations.
The Secretary General and the Ambassador doubled down on the commitment to shared values and close cooperation.