Joint Statement by Heads of Delegations of the three Baltic States to PACE: The PACE must continue to support Ukraine

Baltic unity is a natural part of the Nordic unity. We are pleased that in most cases we are able to achieve joint Nordic-Baltic votes in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Since 2014, the three Baltic countries have been actively warning the PACE that Russia will continue to expand its aggression. We are proud that the Council of Europe was the first international body to immediately exclude Russia from membership of the Council of Europe after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The Council of Europe effectively unites all continents to denounce the Russian aggression. We are more than convinced that the massive support to Ukraine must continue. Russia will not be able to divert our attention from the crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The whole agenda of the Council of Europe is driven by efforts to strengthen democratic states and their societies in Europe against the plans of the Russian totalitarian regime to divide European society which is based on treaties and respect for international law.

Joint Statement by Heads of Delegations of the three Baltic States to PACE, Ms Liisa-Ly Pakosta, Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, and Mr Emanuelis Zingeris

From left: Chairperson of the Ukrainian delegation Ms Maria Mezentseva, Chairperson of the Latvian delegation Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, member of the Ukrainian delegation Ms Yevheniya Kravchuk, Chairperson of the Lithuanian delegation Mr Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairperson of the Estonian delegation Ms Liisa-Ly Pakosta, member of the Ukrainian delegation Ms Olena Khomenko. Photo by Tautvydas Krilavičius, Office of the Seimas