Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, in his current role as the President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for the signing of the historic agreement establishing the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, the government said Thursday.
Borg presided over the signing ceremony on Wednesday evening, in Strasbourg, with President Zelenskyy and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, signing the Bilateral Agreement, reaffirming the Council's determination to seek justice and accountability for the people of Ukraine.
This development comes a day after the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister chaired an extraordinary session of the Committee of Ministers, which approved the signing of this bilateral agreement, by an overwhelming majority.
Borg expressed Malta's pride at this momentous milestone. "I am deeply honoured that this step is being taken under Malta's Presidency," he said, adding that "following our recent tenure at the United Nations Security Council and the OSCE, as well as the hosting of the Ukraine Peace Formula talks in 2023, Malta is once again putting Ukraine at the top of its multilateral agenda. Today's signing ceremony reflects Malta's resolute commitment to justice and accountability for Ukraine, and its dedication to upholding international law."
"This Tribunal will confront one of the gravest violations of international law: the crime of aggression. And it will do so by ensuring that those who wield power are not shielded by it. They will be held to account - not through retaliation, but through law. Not by vengeance, but through justice administered with fairness and due process," Borg said.
The agreement marks the culmination of three years of complex legal and diplomatic negotiations led by a dedicated Core Group of nearly 40 States and key international institutions, chaired by Ukrainian Ambassador-at-large Anton Korynevych, with the support of Ukrainian authorities, the European Union, and Council of Europe bodies.
President Zelenskyy's visit to Strasbourg on Wednesday evening comes amid escalating Russian military aggression, including some of the deadliest attacks since the invasion began on 24 February 2022.
The Special Tribunal is a response to a long-standing gap in international criminal accountability. While complementing the efforts of the International Criminal Court, the Tribunal will specifically address the crime of aggression - an act often shielded from prosecution due to legal limitations. The Tribunal will apply the rule of law within Ukrainian territorial jurisdiction while benefiting from broad cross-regional support and cooperation.
This development forms part of the Council of Europe's broader commitment to Ukraine's recovery and justice. It follows the continued work of the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe Register of Damages, which has already registered over 34,000 claims.
Looking ahead, the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe will focus on the operationalisation of the Tribunal, and support for Ukraine through coordinated multilateral initiatives, including a fully-fledged Claims Commission and the establishment of a Compensation Fund, the government said.