The Republic of Moldova has taken over the rotating Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers from Malta at a meeting of representatives from the organisation’s 46 member states.

Addressing the Committee of Ministers, Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta, gave an overview of his country’s achievements.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi, then outlined the priorities for the Moldovan Presidency for the next six months.

Moldovan Presidency: Three Key Priorities

The Presidency of the Republic of Moldova will be guided by three main priorities:

• Support for Ukraine and accountability for the crime of aggression by the Russian Federation.
• Supporting ongoing work on the New Democratic Pact for Europe.
• Strengthening the response to disinformation, including foreign information manipulation and interference.

In line with these priorities and the core values of the Council of Europe, Moldova will further emphasise:

• Rule of Law: Implementation of the Convention system, support for Ukraine, and addressing cybercrime.
• Democracy: Advancing local democracy, strengthening media freedom, and empowering youth involvement.
• Human Rights: protecting and implementing social rights, protecting children’s rights, and supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence.