The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine held a telephone conversation with the newly elected President of the PACE Petra Bayr
26 January 2026, 19:13
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, congratulated the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Petra Bayr, on her election to the post.
He thanked her for the Assembly's consistent position on russia's responsibility for aggression against Ukraine and the protection of international law. Support for Ukraine remains one of the key issues on the PACE agenda, Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed.
During the conversation, the parties emphasised the need for further work on the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, as well as the formation of a fair compensation basis for the damages caused.
They discussed further cooperation between the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe separately and agreed to maintain constant contact.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also congratulated Ukrainian parliamentarians on their election to responsible positions in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. In particular: Mariia Mezentseva-Fedorenko — on her election as Vice-President of PACE; Serhii Vlasenko — on his election as Chair of the Committee on the Election of Judges of the European Court of Human Rights; Yulia Ovchinnikova — on her election as Deputy Chair of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development; Yelyzaveta Yask – on her election as Vice-Chair of the Committee on the New Democratic Pact.
According to Ruslan Stefanchuk, these elections confirm Ukraine's growing role in European institutions and are the result of systematic interparliamentary work by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Ukrainian parliamentarians consistently uphold the principles of the rule of law, human rights and justice.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, expressed his sincere personal gratitude to Theodoros Rousopoulos for his leadership at the helm of PACE for two years, his solidarity with Ukraine and his principled position in defence of freedom, democracy and justice.
«In the darkest times of Europe, your voice was clear and courageous. Ukraine will always remember this,» Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised.