On 17 May 2023, Latvia is taking over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, will transfer the Presidency powers in rotational order to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, for a six-month term. The handover ceremony will take place during the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavík, Iceland.
This is Latvia’s second Presidency since joining the organisation. During the period, the Latvian Foreign Minister will be Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and his duties will include reporting to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the work of the Committee of Ministers.
One of the main tasks of the Latvian Presidency is to work on the practical implementation of the decisions of the Council of Europe’s summit in Reykjavik – strengthening the role and influence of the Council of Europe, addressing the current challenges in the field of human rights, providing the organisation’s support to Ukraine, including to achieve Russia’s international accountability for the crime of aggression in Ukraine.
The national priorities of the Latvian Presidency at the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe are as follows: 1) strengthening of democracy and the rule of law; 2) promotion of freedom of expression, safety of journalists and digital agenda of the Council of Europe; 3) advancing reforms of the Council of Europe.
Background information
The Council of Europe, created in 1949, is the oldest political organisation in Europe and includes 46 European countries. The organisation aims at building a common democratic and law-based space and adherence to, and safeguarding its fundamental values – human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Latvia joined the organisation in 1995.