Eduardo González
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares welcomed yesterday in Reykjavik the decision of the Council of Europe Summit to create a Register of Damage for Ukraine as a first step towards the implementation of an international compensation mechanism for the victims of Russian aggression.
“Unfortunately, the Russian aggression reminds us that, 74 years after its foundation, the work of the Council of Europe continues to be essential in the defense of the rule of law, of democracy, of human rights, principles for which we must continue to work every day,” said the minister during his speech at the plenary session of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, held in the Icelandic capital on May 16 and 17 under the motto United around our values.
“Spain, once again, condemns this barbarism contrary to international law and the principles of the Council of Europe and reiterates its unconditional support for Ukraine,” he continued. “We will support Ukraine for as long as necessary and we also show our support for Moldova and Georgia and welcome the presence of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who represents Belarus under the principles we defend in the Council of Europe,” Albares said.
We have to “demand responsibility from the Russian aggressor and, to achieve that goal, the establishment of a Register of Damages, of which Spain is a founding participant, is a first step to compensate them in the near future,” the Foreign Minister warned. “There can be no impunity,” concluded Albares, who at the end of the meeting held a bilateral meeting with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadóttir.
The Council of Europe held this week its first Summit in 17 years and the fourth in the 74-year history of the organization. Created in 1949, the Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organization. It currently comprises 46 countries, including the 27 that make up the EU. Russia was expelled in March 2022 by the Committee of Ministers following its invasion of Ukraine.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, could not attend Iceland because of his appearance before the plenary session of Congress, so he delegated the representation of Spain to José Manuel Albares. The PP yesterday criticized Sánchez’s absence at the Council of Europe. “No European democracy is going to be absent and if Spain is absent it is because the President of the Government is campaigning instead of fulfilling his obligations,” said the PP spokeswoman in Congress, Cuca Gamarra.
The Register of Damage
The Register of Damage, which is established for an initial period of three years and will be based in The Hague, the Netherlands, with a satellite office in Ukraine, will serve as a bank of evidence and information on claims, losses or injuries caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine. It also paves the way for a future comprehensive international compensation mechanism for victims of Russian aggression.
So far, some forty countries have already joined the initiative (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom), as well as the European Union as such and non-European countries such as Canada, Japan and the United States. In addition, Andorra, Bulgaria and Switzerland have indicated their intention to do so. During the inaugural session, the registry received the express support of French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, among other leaders.
“The Register is an important step towards accountability for the crimes committed in Russia’s brutal war and a strong message of support for Ukraine,” said Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, whose country holds the Council’s rotating presidency. For her part, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, said that “the decision to establish the Register of Damage under the auspices of the Council of Europe is a historic decision.” “With the support of a large coalition of member and non-member states and the EU, it is one of the first legally binding decisions to hold Russia accountable for its actions,” she stressed.
The European Union, represented by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has announced a substantial contribution to the initial costs. For his part, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressed his country’s gratitude “to the Council of Europe and all participating States for such a high level of support” and invited “other States, from all corners of the world, to join the Register of Damage as a sign of support for the important issue of Russia’s responsibility for its war against Ukraine.” Likewise, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the Netherlands is “proud that the seat of the Register of Damage is in The Hague, the legal capital of the world.”