27/04/2023 | 18:02:14 Thank you, dear president, honourable colleagues, First, I have to say thank you to Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS for initiating this relevant debate and thanks to all the colleagues who are participating here this evening. I personally can remember my visit in July last year, the chance to first hand hear from the President of Moldova, of the Moldovan parliament, about the challenges that they are facing. And Moldava is facing multiple crises and increasing direct threats to instability, as well as... 27/04/2023 | 16:18:03 Thank you, dear President, dear honourable guests, I want to thank for rapporteur for the brilliant work done and we all know that today we are all witnesses of a painful history repeating. Deportations of innocent people from countries occupied by Russia 70 years ago are happening once again in Ukraine. There are numerous credible sources, including the International Criminal Court, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, who have called attention to Russia's... 28/04/2022 | 16:29:54 Thank you, chair. Dear Colleagues. Of course, I will join with others to congratulate the rapporteur for the excellent job done. I also will try to be as brief as possible. It's quite long day today. Not only do we have to stress it. It is not only in Europe but it's also around the world that we can see democracy backsliding. Due to weakening checks and balances and to rising new obstacles to exercise civil rights, we all can see decreasing faith of citizens in democratic institutions. We... 28/04/2022 | 12:41:35 Thank you. Chair, Dear colleagues, Family separated, people lost, children dead, parents missing, sons shot, daughters raped, E-40 highway shooting, abduction and torture of civilians in Kherson, torture chambers in Trostyanets', mass torture in Makariv, killings of civilians in Chernihiv, Bucha. I'm sure you all have seen photos. You have read what Russian soldiers have done. But just try to imagine the pain that each and every one of these kids and parents and all citizens and people have... 26/04/2022 | 10:49:15 Thank you. Dear Chair, Dear colleagues, There has been a constant co-operation between the Council and the European Union in an attainment and promotion of your common goals, and defending democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout your organisation's existence. This co-operation is underpinned not only by the existence of common goals, but also by the experience and specialisation of our Council of Europe in these matters. This co-operation is even more necessary in the face of... 15/03/2022 | 17:03:07 Mr President, Dear colleagues, I am a child of the 90s and in Lithuania that is quite special. I was born just a month after the restitution of our independence. This meant I did not experience Soviet occupation despite the fact that on the cover of my birth certificate still shines the Soviet symbol of the hammer and sickle. This also meant, that while my grandparents and parents lived through multiple episodes of war and occupation, I, during my 30 years did not really have to consider the... 30/09/2021 | 17:17:52 Thank you, Chair. While this is the last amendment, I would argue it is also one of the most important ones here today as well. I already mentioned that the rapporteur and the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons implemented significant changes to the initial draft report. It is now clearly stated that hybrid attacks by Belarusian authorities are resulting in increased migration and asylum pressures. Also the word "instrumentalisation" is used more than once, including the... 30/09/2021 | 16:04:23 Thank you, Chair. Dear colleagues, I want to thank the rapporteur and especially colleagues in the Migration Committee for intensive and hard work finding a well-balanced approach regarding this report. I have no doubt that today in the Assembly we will reach a common position sending a clear and hopefully unanimous message to the Belarusian regime which is instrumentalising migration pressures on the borders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The recent migration influx to Lithuania is a... 29/09/2021 | 16:53:36 Thank you, Mr President, dear panellists, Thank you for this opportunity. A couple of points. Among the speakers today we heard the very clear voice of the future. Therefore there is no question about it: we all need to have the right to a safe, healthy and clean environment. Today we also have to be honest with ourselves. Some of us have disproportional rights to cleaner environments than others. It is like a vicious circle. Disadvantaged groups are more exposed to the adverse effects of... 29/09/2021 | 12:05:35 Thank you. Dear Chair, dear colleagues, Earlier, the impact of global warming was perceived as populist and unreal rhetoric but today we can clearly state that the effects of it are very much real, and very much here. I completely agree with the statements heard today; that if we need to achieve real results, we need to attract more people to the problem. Not only politicians but also people from different age groups, ethnic groups, different genders, and different regions. We need to ask...