The President of the Republic, Petr Pavel, spoke at the summit of the Council of Europe in Reykjavík, where he supported the establishment of a Register of Damages Caused by Russian Aggression. Its establishment also became the main output of the summit. The registry will be based in The Hague and will collect claims for compensation from both Ukrainian citizens and legal entities such as the state, municipalities, hospitals or schools. The register should start functioning during the autumn. Within three years, the Council of Europe should also create a compensation mechanism for damages.
“I am glad that this is happening, because it is the first time that, on the basis of a solid legal basis, there will be an inventory of the damages caused by the war, whether to individuals or the state, and based on this, a mechanism will be set to compensate the damages, from which sources. The Czech Republic actively participated in this and I am glad that the Czech footprint will be visible in this process,” said Petr Pavel at the end of the summit.
The summit took place after eighteen years, the last time it was held in Warsaw in 2005, and its renewal was a clear signal that the Council of Europe still has an important role to play.
“The topic of this summit is Russian aggression against Ukraine. It resulted in the loss of countless innocent lives, widespread destruction and the displacement of thousands of people. We stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian friends,” the president said in his speech.
In his speech, President Petr Pavel also supported the creation of a special criminal tribunal for crimes in Ukraine.
Photo : Zuzana Bönisch