Council of Europe Adopts Statement on Ukraine; Armenia Does Not Join

The Justice Ministers of the member states of the Council of Europe have adopted a statement entitled "Towards Accountability for International Crimes Committed in Ukraine" following a conference held in Vilnius, Lithuania. According to Armenpress, the statement emphasizes: "We, the Justice Ministers of the member states of the Council of Europe, have gathered in Vilnius under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to address issues of justice and accountability related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine."

In the statement, the ministers welcomed Ukraine's ratification process of the Rome Statute, considering it an important advancement for international law and international justice. "We resolutely support the investigation by the International Criminal Court aimed at holding accountable those responsible for international crimes on the territory of Ukraine. We call on all states to assist the Court by cooperating in its ongoing investigations and in holding the guilty accountable," the statement reads.

Furthermore, they reaffirmed the necessity of establishing a special tribunal for the crime against Ukraine, capable of delivering justice by holding the highest perpetrators accountable. A list of member and observer states that supported the statement has also been published. Among them are Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Italy, Japan, Moldova, Spain, Switzerland, San Marino, and others. Armenia is not included in this list.

In response to circulating media reports, Armenpress reached out to the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry's spokesperson Ani Badalyan confirmed that Armenia did not join the statement from the outset.