Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Kostyantyn Gryshchenko participated in a session of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The session was also attended by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn.

The Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko presented the priorities of the Ukrainian Chairmanship and reassured the participants of the session that Ukraine would exert every effort to promote the atmosphere of mutual trust and constructive dialogue among all country-members of the organization.

The Minister expressed his confidence that Ukraine’s priorities – the protection of the rights of children and strengthening local democracy - demand greater attention on the part of the organization.

The CE Committee of Ministers Chairman reassured the session participants that realization of the Ukrainian Chairmanship’s priorities would become a weighty contribution of Ukraine to the establishment of the common European future on the basis of reliable legal and political grounds – on the norms and principles of the Council of Europe.

During the official part of the session inauguration President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mevlüt Çavusoglu stressed that the priorities of the Ukrainian Chairmanship fully corresponded to the basic values of the Assembly. He expressed his hope for coordination of efforts and effective cooperation between the PACE and CMCE in realization of the Ukrainian priorities.

Within the framework of the session the Parliamentary Assembly welcomed the EU program of Eastern Partnership as an important opportunity for the six countries (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) to implement reforms and achieve welfare through strengthening ties with the EU. The session approved a resolution to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields, especially to radio frequencies from mobile phones, and their impact on human health.

When answering questions by journalists after the session about opposition persecution, the CMCE Chairman reassured there was no selective justice in Ukraine.

K.Gryshchenko stressed on the importance of responsibility of those who was or is in power for their actions and noted that many leading countries of the world conduct similar prosecution.

“I call on you to wait a little and you’ll see the investigation is right”, Gryshchenko told the PACE representatives.