On May 11 Istanbul hosted the 121st session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the level of ministers for foreign affairs. The Ukrainian delegation to the session was chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.

The agenda of the ministerial session was to discuss the activity report by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland into “The Council of Europe: a strategy for values in action”, the reformation of the European Court of Human Rights and other topical issues connected with the Report of the Group of Eminent Persons “Living together in 21st century Europe”, Neighbourhood policy of the Council of Europe.

The key item of the agenda was the ceremony of passing the chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from Turkey to Ukraine. During the ceremony a symbolic key to chairmanship was presented to Kostyantyn Gryshchenko.

Ukraine will hold the presidency in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe between May and November 2011.