"I am deeply shocked and saddened by the horrendous terrorist attacks which took place in Paris last night. On behalf of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, I wish to express my most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and my deepest sympathy to the French people and the French authorities. I sincerely hope that the many who have been injured will recover soon.

In these particularly difficult moments faced by one of our member States, and after similar attacks against others in recent months, we must remain firmly united around our shared values which terrorists seek to destroy. We must defend our democracies with due respect for the rule of law, resolutely combating terrorism, hatred and extremism. The Council of Europe is determined to continue its action to this end."