The newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe made a statement regarding Ukraine
In the second round of voting, the Council of Europe elected a new secretary general, who became the Swiss politician and former chairman of the Federal Council of Switzerland, Alain Berse.
This is stated in messages press service of the organization.
Alain Berse received the support of 114 votes, defeating his rivals – the former Minister of Culture of Estonia Indrek Saar with 85 votes and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders with 46 votes. He will take up his post on September 18 for a five-year term.
In his first statement in his new position, Berse said that supporting Ukraine will remain a priority of his tenure.
“There should be strong support outside the European continent. This is not a regional, but a global issue for the whole world. And we need to involve everyone in this direction as much as possible“, said the politician.
“Our main priority, and we all understand why, is Ukraine. And when we talk about Ukraine, we are not just talking about the country, we are talking about Ukrainians. We are talking about their children, and the Council of Europe is very active in all these issues“, Berse added.
Alain Berse was a member of the Swiss government from 2012 to 2023, heading the Federal Department of the Interior, and twice served as president of the Confederation (in 2018 and 2023).
Before that, he headed the Federal Department of Internal Affairs (2003−2011) and the Council of States (2008−2009).
Currently, the position of Secretary General of the Council of Europe is held by Maria Pejchynovych-Burych. She decided not to run for a second term.
