Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniela Gitman on Thursday participated in the official opening of the 63rd session of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), according to a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to AGERPRES.

The event was also attended by the president of the Foreign Policy Commission of the Romanian Senate, Titus Corlatean and the current president of this body, Alina Orosan, general director for Legal Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In her speech, Secretary of State Daniela Gitman reiterated the importance that Romania attaches to international law, the cornerstone of its foreign policy and the promotion of the rule of law worldwide.

The Romanian official highlighted the vital importance of supporting the principles of international law – among which sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of all states -, while never accepting the use of force or threats of force – which must remain the foundation on which the response of the international community is based to the war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. At the same time, she revealed the importance of CAHDI’s activity in the complex efforts to identify the best solutions for repressing acts of aggression and other violations of peace and for holding those responsible for them accountable.

In this sense, she highlighted the actions meant to reconfirm Romania’s firm commitment to fight impunity for the most serious crimes and to strengthen observance of democratic values and of an international order based on rules.

Also, Secretary of State Gitman recalled that Romania joined the common approach of some states party to the Rome Statute to refer the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding the investigation of the crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Ukraine, including in the context of the war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In this context, she referred to the recent submission by our country, to the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), of the request for intervention in favour of Ukraine, in the case brought by this state against the Russian Federation at the ECHR, regarding the serious human rights violations committed en masse by the Russian Federation in the framework of its military aggressive movements on the territory of Ukraine since February 24, 2022.

The Secretary of State also identified CAHDI as the appropriate forum for clarifying to the highest possible degree all legal aspects supporting the Council of Europe in making fully informed political decisions.

The 63rd session of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI) of the Council of Europe takes place on Thursday and Friday, at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest.

Agerpres