Introducing the activity report of the Parliamentary Assembly, Iulian Bulai began by congratulating the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Alain Berset, and wished him a fruitful mandate.
In his remarks, Mr Bulai particularly emphasized the need for the Council of Europe to enhance its international outreach. One proposal to achieve this is by establishing a Council of Europe representation at the UN headquarters in New York, which could strengthen dialogue with the Global South.
The war in Ukraine remains the primary concern for our continent.
“This is the last session of a very difficult year, especially for our friends in Ukraine. Ahead of the winter session, more than 80% of the Ukrainian energy sector has been destroyed by the aggressor. At the end of the autumn session, I also feel very the need to call on all of us to renew our support to Ukraine, because, let us not be mistaken, there are forces on this continent and in this very house that attempt to whitewash Vladimir Putin’s regime and undermine European solidarity,” declared Mr Bulai.
He also stressed the need to reinforce cooperation with the Red Cross, as well as the urgency of establishing an international tribunal on the crime of aggression and creating an effective compensation mechanism for the damage inflicted on Ukraine. Continued solidarity and support for Ukraine are essential.
“We welcome the efforts of this Assembly and their members in opening yet another difficult chapter in our dealing with the consequences of a full-scale war in Europe. I am specifically referring to the Ukrainian civilians kidnapped by Russia and kept as prisoners. These civilians are subject to torture, forced labour, and sexual violence. It is shocking that such atrocities are happening in Europe in the 21st century, ” continued Mr Bulai.
This subject is of particular importance to the ALDE group, which, in June 2024, launched a report to look into the cases of Ukrainian civilian journalists detained by Russia. Yevheniia Kravchuk will lead this work within the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media.
In his speech to the Assembly, Mr Bulai also focused on the Assembly’s election observation work, highlighting particularly important missions to Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria. As the chair of the mission to Georgia, Mr Bulai shared his preliminary observations following a pre-electoral mission to the country on 23-24 September.
