On January 25, 2024, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Maciej Janczak held a meeting with the Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin and his team to discuss the ongoing long-standing cooperation and its further prospects. The meeting was accompanied by the official transfer of equipment for the enhancement of daily operations of the Office of the Prosecutor General's Department of International Legal Cooperation, procured by the Council of Europe.
Maciej Janczak emphasized that assistance to Ukrainian criminal justice stakeholders with a focus on human rights protection in criminal proceedings, and victim-centric approach on the path to justice and accountability for war crimes, resulting from the Russian aggression against Ukraine, are among priorities of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, "Resilience, Recovery, and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. The Council of Europe is ready to continue strengthening the institutional capacity of the Office of the Prosecutor General and the entire Public Prosecution Service in Ukraine, considering the challenges related to Russia's ongoing full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, accompanied by war crimes and gross human rights violations. "We would like to express our gratitude for the clear acknowledgment and commitment demonstrated by Ukraine regarding the necessity of holding those responsible for committing international crimes in full compliance with the rule of law principles and standards of the European Convention on Human Rights", highlighted the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.
Andrii Kostin expressed gratitude to Maciej Janczak for providing the necessary equipment and for the continuous support from the Council of Europe, which unwaveringly sustains the Office of the Prosecutor General. "We remain open, transparent, and committed to reforms aimed at further strengthening the capacity, independence, and professionalism of the Prosecution Service, along with ensuring effective investigation and prosecution of Russia's international crimes", underlined the Prosecutor General.
Cooperation in this direction, including the equipment transfer, are part of the Council of Europe project "Fostering Human Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Ukraine," within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, "Resilience, Recovery, and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026.
