German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that during his presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), Germany plans to turn the organisation into a «continental human rights defender». He spoke about this in an interview with the Funke Media Group.
«During our chairmanship, we want to position the Council of Europe as a human rights defender. Not least because of this, despite the resistance, Germany advocated Russia’s full return to the Council of Europe», — the Minister said.
On Wednesday, Germany takes over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Previously, it was held by Greece.
«Of course, we are very critical of the desire of some member countries to put national legislation above them. Germany has advocated Russia’s return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), also because of the need to ensure access for Russian citizens to the European Court of Human Rights», — Maas said.
