Swiss Candidate for Secretary General of Council of Europe Alain Berset is Visiting Ukraine

On 20 February, former President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, visited Ukraine as the official candidate of Switzerland for the position of Secretary General of the Council of Europe. In Kyiv, he had meetings with the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as with the Ukrainian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). He also visited the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine and met with Ukrainian officials to introduce his election bid and to discuss the role of the Council of Europe in supporting Ukraine against Russia's military aggression and ensuring accountability and justice.

Mr Berset decided to start his electoral tour of European countries in Ukraine. It is the second time in three months he is visiting the country. Last November, as the then president of the Swiss Confederation, he attended the Food Security Summit in Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

As Secretary General, Mr Berset would work to give the Council of Europe greater political weight and visibility, keeping Ukraine in the focus of the European agenda. "One of my four priorities will focus on strengthening the Council of Europe in championing the recovery of a free, reconstructed Ukraine and in discussions on compensation for the loss and damage inflicted by Russia's war of aggression" highlighted Mr Berset during a series of meetings with Ukrainian authorities in the capital Kyiv – the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the Director of the Department General for International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Valentyn Skuratovskyi. 

"During our working meeting, we have discussed many issues. First of all, we paid attention to the role and place of the Council of Europe in modern European political architecture. I also noted the support from the Council of Europe and the organization's expertise in improving Ukrainian legislation in accordance with the best European standards," said Mr Stefanchuk. 

The prominent role of Council of Europe in supporting Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia's war of aggression was at the heart of discussions with Members of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, headed by Mariia Mezentseva as well as with Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.

"I have always been committed to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. When I visited Bucha last year, I saw first-hand the scene of Russian atrocities and heard powerful stories of survivors" said Mr Berset. "The Council of Europe is one of the organizations that can help to ensure that global governance is based on the rule of law, and Russia is held accountable for violations of international law committed in Ukraine."

The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organization with 46 member states, including Ukraine.  The first phase of election for Secretary General of the Council of Europe 2024-2029 will take place on 25 March 2024 through a vote by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The final decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Assembly on 25 June 2024 in Strasbourg.