President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed the issues of protecting human rights in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Donbas with Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, the press service of the head of state reported.
“I am sure that the activity of your organization in this direction, which is extremely important for us, will only intensify,” the President of Ukraine said.
The head of state noted the increased interaction of Ukraine within the framework of the Council of Europe and noted that this is the second visit of Pejčinović Burić to Ukraine this year.
“I want to express my gratitude to you and your colleagues for the great attention to Ukraine, for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state,” Zelensky said.
The president also noted the importance of attendance of the founding summit of the Crimea Platform held on Aug. 23 by representatives of the Council of Europe.
“We were glad to welcome you to Kyiv and look forward to the further active involvement of Council of Europe experts in the work of this international mechanism for the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula,” the head of state said.
The practical modalities of involving the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe in monitoring the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in accordance with the norms of international law and national legislation of Ukraine were also discussed.
The President drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainian side expects the first report of Pejčinović Burić on the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea and is ready to cooperate in this important direction.
“I am convinced that your visit to the administrative border with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea allowed a better understanding of the importance of this issue and will help in preparing the report,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also called on the Secretary-General to facilitate the involvement of all mechanisms of this international organization for the release of Ukrainians who were illegally detained by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
Zelensky and Pejčinović Burić touched upon the issues of practical support from the Secretariat of the Council of Europe for the European integration of Ukraine, in particular, in the areas of human rights protection, ensuring the rule of law and the development of democratic institutions, appreciating this interaction.
In this regard, the President informed the Secretary-General of the signing of the bill on oligarchs adopted by the Verkhovna Rada. As agreed between Zelensky and President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe Gianni Buquicchio, the text of the law signed by the president will be submitted for the conclusion to the Venice Commission.
