We welcome the role the Council of Europe plays in the Western Balkans. Euro-Atlantic integration is the sovereign choice of the governments and people of the countries of the Western Balkans. The UK works with the governments of the region and other partners to support internal reforms, in particular on the rule of law - including to tackle organised crime, illicit finance and corruption - and to promote reconciliation and good neighbourly relations.

The UK Government welcomes the important and influential role that the UK delegation to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) continues to play. We note the Assembly debate on 27 September, on the humanitarian consequences of last year's conflict. I have continued to engage with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments on many of the topics discussed during that debate and will continue to do so. This includes key topics such as the return of prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased, and the importance of a sustainable and peaceful settlement that has been negotiated under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.

We remain concerned at Lukashenko's continued use of migrants and refugees to increase pressure on neighbouring states. This harmful, aggressive and exploitative behaviour must stop. We stand in support and solidarity with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in dealing with this situation. The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue with her Baltic counterparts on 11 October.

Hungary took over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 21 May, taking over from Germany as the previous chair. Hungary set out its priorities for the Chairmanship on 19 May, including interreligious dialogue and technological challenges.

The UK is committed to freedom of religion or belief, and we hope to work with Hungary on interreligious dialogue to strengthen mutual respect, understanding and tolerance in Europe. The UK supports the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November. We welcome Hungary's proposal to hold a conference of the member States' Ministers of Justice in Budapest in October to discuss justice in the digital age and tackling cybercrime.

We welcome Hungary's commitment to further promote and strengthen human rights, democratic values and the rule of law during their Chairmanship. The UK is committed to the Council of Europe, and it is important that the institution continues its focus on these core values. It is vital that member States uphold their obligations as members of the Council of Europe, and we expect that Hungary will continue Germany's strong lead on this.

UK policy on Albania aims to help the country to become a strong, prosperous, mature democracy, better able to tackle the challenges it faces including the threat from Serious and Organised Crime. Our policy supports the wider objectives set out in the Government's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March 2021. The UK continues to work closely with the international community, including the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE ODIHR), in support of these aims. We continue to encourage Albania to engage constructively to further improve the country's electoral practices in line with recommendations from the CoE and ODIHR.

The UK commends the people and Government of Bulgaria on the successful conduct of parliamentary elections on 4 April, despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. As set out in the Government's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy published in March, the UK aims to support Bulgaria in defending common values such as democracy and counter shared threats including from Serious and Organised Crime. The UK continues to work closely with the international community, including the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE ODIHR), in support of these aims. HM Ambassador to Sofia met members of the OSCE election observation mission during their visit to Sofia earlier this year and will engage with the OSCE ODIHR and Bulgarian authorities concerning preparations for upcoming parliamentary elections on July 11, including on issues identified in the CoE's observations. We continue to encourage Bulgaria to engage constructively to further improve its electoral practices in line with recommendations from the CoE and OSCE ODIHR.

The UK Government welcomes the important work that Lord Blencathra has undertaken as a Rapporteur for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on the need for widespread and achievable electoral reform in Belarus. For too long the Belarusian regime has deprived its people of their democratic and political rights. Since last year's fraudulent Presidential elections, the UK Government has been at the forefront of international efforts to hold the Belarusian authorities to account, including through invoking the OSCE Moscow Mechanism. The UK and our partners have repeatedly called on the Belarusian authorities to implement all of the recommendations in Professor Benedek's subsequent report into electoral fraud and human rights violations. This includes the holding of new Presidential elections that meet international standards and are subject to unhindered monitoring by credible independent observers, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The UK Government continues to urge the Belarusian authorities to support the calls for urgent electoral and democratic reform and the growth of civil society, to ensure the rightful democratic aspirations of its people are met.

The UK welcomes President Sandu's focus in her 19 April speech on the importance of political, economic and judicial reforms to Moldova's future stability and prosperity. I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss these issues with President Sandu and others during my recent visit to Moldova. During my visit, I underlined the UK's continued support for efforts to combat corruption, and to develop a professional, independent, impartial and transparent judiciary, in line with international rules and norms. This included the announcement of a new UK project, which will provide support to the Presidential Administration on developing anti-corruption and judicial reform strategies and initiatives. The UK's work in this area is well-aligned with the Council of Europe Action Plan for Moldova.