On 9 August 2022, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (OPG) organised a meeting of international organisations with Mr Andriy Kostin, the newly appointed Prosecutor General. The event brought together representatives of key international agencies and projects providing assistance to the OPG and working on strengthening the rule of law and criminal justice system in Ukraine.

The Prosecutor General outlined the priorities of his Office, which include investigation and prosecution of international crimes committed in the context of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, freezing and recovery of Russia-affiliated assets in Ukraine and abroad, combatting corruption and embezzlement of public funds, continuation of reforms agenda and further strengthening of independence and autonomy of prosecutors, improving coordination with the law-enforcement agencies, and further digital transformation of the public prosecutors’ offices. Mr Kostin also underlined the commitment of the public prosecution service (PPS) to upholding the rule of law and human rights standards.

Steen Nørlov, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, congratulated Mr Kostin on his recent appointment, noted the longstanding cooperation between the OPG and the Council of Europe, and recalled that since April the CoE Expert Advisory Group has started to channel its advice to the OPG on the application of relevant ECHR standards in the times of war and its cross-cutting lines with the International Humanitarian Law. Mr Nørlov also reiterated that the CoE, within its mandate and competences, will continue providing support to its Member State – Ukraine – in these extremely challenging times for the country.