Responding to questions from members of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić confirmed that the organisation had proposed adjustments to the Ukraine Action Plan to address the immediate consequences of the Russian aggression. “We must do everything we can to support the country” said the Secretary General, who also expressed her solidarity with the Ukrainian people and saluted their courage.

She said she is ready to travel to Kiev to discuss the country’s short and long-term needs as soon as she received an official invitation. She also underlined the measures already taken by the organisation, including moving the staff of the Council of Europe’s Kiev office who so wished to safety in neighbouring countries, and working with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General to advise her on gross human rights violations. Moreover, she welcomed the Council of Europe Development Bank’s allocation of €5 million in grants for the Migrant and Refugee Fund.

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