It is the Grand Duchy’s turn to lead the Council of Europe for the next six months, as Lithuania has handed over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the European human rights organisation to Luxembourg, according to Luxembourg Times.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis will hand over the baton to his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel on Wednesday.
The Council of Europe consists of 46 countries on the European continent and aims to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
As Bettel noted during Council Secretary General Alain Berset’s working visit to Luxembourg on October 24, the Grand Duchy will focus its efforts in particular on protecting the rule of law. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement at the time:
“The presidency will actively support work within the Council of Europe to finalise a Convention on the protection of lawyers and will organise conferences on journalists’ safety, bringing together national and international experts.”
The country will also focus on enhancing social cohesion and inclusion “in a context marked by rising intolerance” and will use culture as a means of promoting the values underpinning the Council of Europe.
