13/10/2022 | 19:05:56 In addition to what my co-rapporteur said about the sources of our information on which we base the report, I would like to stress how instrumental in this respect was our visit to Bucharest. It enabled us to conduct a direct political dialogue with the authorities. And it should be underscored that all our interlocutors demonstrated openness and very clear political commitments to fulfil all remaining obligations resulting from the membership in the Council of Europe. In our official... 10/10/2022 | 16:06:24 Your Excellency, Recently, a new Swiss ambassador to Belarus presented her credentials to Mr Aleksandr Lukashenko – the first and only western European diplomat to do so since August 2020. The Belarusian authorities support the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Excellency, can you assure this Parliamentary Assembly that this diplomatic procedure does not mean that the Swiss authorities are moving towards the recognition of the legitimacy of Mr Aleksandr Lukashenko's regime? Another... 27/04/2022 | 20:23:31 (Undelivered speech, Rules of Procedure Art. 31.2) Mr president, dear colleagues We have heard from our Ukrainian friends in this chamber about the shocking atrocities, war crimes and genocide committed by the Russian Federation. I am deeply moved and impressed by the courage and determination of the people of Ukraine in defending their country and indeed the freedom of Europe against the brutal agressor. We have also heard in this organisation, in past two months since Russia started the... 15/03/2022 | 15:37:35 Dear President, Dear Colleagues, At the end of January, in this chamber, we ratified the credentials of the Russian delegation. One month later, Russia started the war with Ukraine. I can't help but say: we told you so. We have been warning you about Russia's aggression for years. Thank you for finally listening to us. The Baltic countries and others who know very well from personal experience what it means to be occupied in our lifetime. We are gathered here today to decide whether or not... 24/01/2022 | 13:54:24 Mr President and esteemed colleagues, I would like to challenge the nomination of Mr Petr TOLSTOY and call for the vote for the matter. Mr TOLSTOY has demonstrated in a number of public statements during recent years complete disregard for Council of Europe values, disrespect to human rights, democracy and rule of law. He has threatened democratically elected leaders of another Council of Europe member state and questioned the independence and territorial integrity of several Council of... 30/09/2021 | 16:33:03 Thank you. Dear colleagues It is important that we recognise that the situation on the border with Belarus is not a result of unfortunate circumstances. It has been intentionally designed by an illegitimate president in a desperate attempt to hang on to power and retaliate against the sanctions imposed against his regime by the EU and other democratic countries. These aggressive actions of Belarus authorities cause serious challenges to security of European countries. The aim of the Belarus...