Mr. Chairperson, Dear Daniel,

Mr. Secretary General,

Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you Daniel for welcoming us today and congratulations to you and your team for the very good work during the Bulgarian Chairmanship. At the same time, I extend my best wishes to the upcoming Chairmanship of Estonia.

I would also like to thank the Secretary General for presenting to us his third Report on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe.

Unfortunately, the past year was marked again by terrorist attacks across Europe, in Paris, Brussels and Turkey, an unprecedented migration crisis and a rise in populism and extremism, just to name a few. The Council of Europe has a role to play here and the decisions we are adopting today are a contribution in tackling these issues.

The Additional Protocol on Foreign Fighters that we agreed during our Ministerial in Brussels last year will be an important tool in fighting this phenomenon.

However, we know this is not enough. Tackling the root causes and prevention is key in the long run.

We are investing in education programs and schools to provide our children and our youth with the proper knowledge to successfully resist hate and discrimination.

That is where the “Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture”, launched by the Conference of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe, will be most useful to us.

Let me turn to one of the pillars of the Secretary General’s Report – Independence and Impartiality of the Judiciary.

Albania has embarked on a deep, comprehensive and inclusive reform of the justice system, through the consultation process with the Venice Commission. Its Opinion has provided a guideline to the experts who drafted it.

This reform will transform the system thoroughly, so as to make it accountable and independent. The reform requires a serious commitment and compromise of all political sides in the country, and its adoption is a condicio sine qua non towards Albania’s next step in the EU accession agenda.

 

Dear colleagues,

One of the most pressing issues we are facing in Europe is the refugee crisis and its spillover effect across the continent.

The way we have collectively managed the refugee crisis has in fact shed light on a paradox: on the one hand, we seem committed to the values of liberty and solidarity, yet on the other, the increasingly illiberal set of policies is blurring the political debate across the continent.

This natural instinct of closing in ourselves, makes us smaller and weaker. Populism is not the answer and Europe knows better.

Before I conclude, let me touch upon an issue which I believe is crucial for the democratic security of South-Eastern Europe.

Over the past years, the Council of Europe has been instrumental in helping to anchor Kosovo firmly within the European “community of values.”

Today’s interventions showed that our goal is still to ensure that all European citizens, without exception, enjoy the standards of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, that are embodied and preserved by our Convention system.

Therefore, the sooner Kosovo joins the Council of Europe, the sooner its people can enjoy the protection of our Convention system.

Keeping Kosovo out deprives its people of the critical support this Organization can provide in strengthening democratic security.

Thank you!