Lithuanian Vice-Minister of the Interior: Congress plays an important role in protecting Council of Europe values

Addressing the 47^th session, Vice-Minister of the Interior of Lithuania Arnoldas Abramavičius, speaking on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, underlined the paramount role of the Congress in protecting the values of the Council of Europe.

He acknowledged the Congress's monitoring work as an 'early warning system' to signal potential democratic erosion, noting that its efforts had not only produced stronger local governance but were also helping to give a new boost to democratic practices in Europe. The recent conference on multilevel governance in Vilnius produced concrete recommendations in this respect. The Vice-Minister also praised the Congress support for the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine.

Recognising the crucial role of youth in shaping the future of democracy, Vice-Minister Abramavičius welcomed the 10th anniversary of the Rejuvenating Politics initiative, as a milestone in integrating young people into political life - the importance of which was affirmed by the Reykjavik principles.

Referring to the high-level Conference on the revised European Social Charter, held in September in Vilnius, the Vice-Minister pointed out that the Vilnius Declaration attached great importance to dialogue with local authorities in promoting policies based on social rights, and welcomed the Congress' focus on guaranteeing the right to adequate housing and addressing the housing crisis as a commitment to stronger social rights.