27/11/2015 Standing Committee
"The first statement I made in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers was a message of sympathy and support for the French population and its authorities in this terrible ordeal," said Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, addressing the PACE Standing Committee in Sofia.
"These attacks and those which took place recently in other member States have strengthened the determination of the Committee of Ministers to combat terrorism and violent extremism", he added.
"Their aim is to provoke antagonism and hatred within our societies and thus destabilise them. The Council of Europe has an important role to play in assisting our countries in the fight against terrorism, through the arsenal of its legal instruments, while respecting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms", Mr Mitov underlined.
The Chairman of the Committee of Ministers also referred to the main priorities of the Bulgarian Chairmanship: strengthening the protection of the rights of the child, protecting media from external influence and protecting vulnerable groups.