The future of the Council of Europe depends on whether it can maintain its independence and not act within the framework of bloc approaches. This is stated in the message of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergei Lavrov to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marie Peichinovich-Buric on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Russia’s accession to the organization.
“I am convinced that the future of the Council of Europe depends on its ability to maintain independence and a truly pan-European character, not to become hostage to bloc approaches and thinking, to work without double standards in the interests of all countries of the continent. The experience of recent years suggests how important it is to prevent the Parliamentary Assembly from becoming an arena for settling scores. Refrain from imposing non-consensual documents. To strive for the activity of the European Court of Human Rights to be free from political and ideological bias”, – the text says.
The minister also noted that in the context of the fight against the pandemic, the organization’s potential is especially in demand for uniting the efforts of countries in the field of health and the exchange of best practices.
“No geopolitical or economic calculations should be placed above the interests of protecting the health of our own citizens”, – he said.
Lavrov stressed that the authority of the Council of Europe is shaking due to the lack of reaction to such examples of human rights violations as discrimination against the Russian and Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and the Baltic countries.
“The organization that emerged on the ruins of the Second World War should not look indifferently at the manifestations of historical revisionism and the exaltation of Nazi accomplices”, – added the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.