Moldova Takes Over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers from Malta

The handover ceremony of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers took place on 14 November, with Malta represented by Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, and Moldova by Mihai Popșoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

As part of the day’s events, a Strasbourg tram decorated in the colours of Moldova was inaugurated to mark the start of the country’s Presidency, providing a visual symbol of the transition in the city hosting the Council of Europe (CoE).

Overview of Malta’s Presidency

Malta assumed the Presidency on 14 May 2025. Its term included work related to accountability for Ukraine, notably the signing of the Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine on 25 June.

Other areas of activity included:

• Initiatives on children’s rights, including the first informal ministerial conference on the Lanzarote Convention;

• Work on equality and non-discrimination, such as the adoption of the Recommendation on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons, the first international instrument of its kind;

• Youth participation and democratic governance through events like the European Youth Work Convention and Youth Peace Camp, engaging over 500 participants and enhancing representation via dialogue with the European Youth Forum.

Malta’s Presidency also coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Venice Commission and the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Priorities of the Incoming Moldovan Presidency

Moldova takes over the Presidency for the second time, in the year of its 30th anniversary as a CoE member. Its programme will be structured around three main axes:

1. Support to Ukraine and accountability efforts, including work related to the Special Tribunal and the Register of Damage;

2. Engagement in the CoE’s work on a New Democratic Pact for Europe, responding to evolving challenges to democratic processes;

3. Strengthening responses to disinformation, including foreign information manipulation and interference. 

Under the Organisation’s three pillars, Moldova will focus on:

• Rule of law: implementation of the ECHR system, support to Ukraine, and regional co-operation on cybercrime;

• Democracy: local democracy, media and journalist protection, and youth participation;

• Human rights: social rights, children’s rights under the Lanzarote Convention, data protection, and work under the Istanbul Convention.