Deputy PM, FM elected Council of Europe Secretary General

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić was elected 26 June 2019 as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić was elected 26 June 2019 as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The ballot was held during the Parliamentary Assembly’s summer session, with Pejčinović Burić winning more votes than the Belgian candidate, current Foreign and Defence Minister Didier Reynders. With this election, Pejčinović Burić is set to become the highest-ranking Croatian official in an international organization so far.

The election of Pejčinović Burić to this prestigious international post represents the pinnacle of a six-month candidacy and Croatian diplomacy’s efforts, during which numerous interviews and presentations before CoE bodies were held. Pejčinović Burić also successfully chaired the CoE Council of Ministers May-November 2018, which was Croatia’s first chairmanship in its 22 years of membership.

In her programme, Pejčinović Burić underlined the importance of dialogue and cooperation, both among the member states and the organization’s main bodies. Special emphasis was attached to the responsibility and commitment of all member states to work on common values and democratic standards, respect the fundamental human rights, and resolve outstanding issues peacefully, within international legal framework and with mutual respect. The newly-elected Secretary General’s term begins on 1 October 2019 and lasts five year.  

The Council of Europe is seated in Strasbourg and numbers 47 member states. This year marks the organization’s 70^th anniversary.

 

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