Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with President of the Republic Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, Foreign Affairs Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, and other key personalities during an official visit to Lithuania to discuss the country’s priorities for its upcoming Committee of Ministers Presidency (17 May - 13 November 2024).

Discussions on the priorities focused on the follow-up to last year’s Reykjavik Summit and in particular on the Council of Europe’s continuing support for Ukraine. The issues of accountability, with the submission of the first claims to the Register of Damage, and the protection of civilians’ human rights, including unlawfully transferred children of Ukraine, were highlighted. A visit to the Ukrainian Centre in Vilnius was part of the official programme. 

Other topics discussed ranged from civil society and human rights defenders to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, from social rights and gender equality to youth and cultural diversity. 

The digital dimension of our freedoms, including the finalisation of the draft Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, was also on the agenda. Marija Pejčinović Burić emphasised the importance of the upcoming 75th anniversary of the organisation.