Liechtenstein’s Deputy Prime Minister Sabine Monauni Holds Talks at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

Deputy Prime Minister Sabine Monauni visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on 6 and 7 October 2026. During her visit, she met with Secretary General Alain Berset and other senior representatives of the organisation. She also addressed the weekly meeting of ambassadors from the 46 member states.

Her discussions with Alain Berset focused on the Council of Europe’s future direction and possible reforms to the organisation. Other topics included support for Ukraine, the promotion of democratic structures and the Council of Europe’s new observer office at the United Nations in New York.

A highlight of the visit was Monauni’s address to the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe’s principal political decision-making body. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of the Council of Europe to Liechtenstein. She highlighted, in particular, the work of expert bodies such as MONEYVAL, which evaluates measures to combat money laundering, and GREVIO, which focuses on combating violence against women and domestic violence. She then discussed current European issues with the ambassadors.

Monauni also met with Despina Chatzivassiliou, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, to discuss recent developments within the Assembly. Topics included the exclusion of the Azerbaijani delegation and the withdrawal of the Georgian delegation. They also discussed the forthcoming 50th anniversary of Liechtenstein’s membership of the Council of Europe.

At a meeting with Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty, Monauni paid tribute to his commitment to protecting human rights in Europe. Their discussions also covered current issues at the intersection of human rights and environmental protection, as well as potential contributions by the Council of Europe in this area.

The visit concluded with a lunch for newly accredited ambassadors and the annual reception at Liechtenstein’s residence. These events provided an opportunity for informal exchanges with representatives of the member states and Council of Europe staff.

Source: www.llv.li

Aleksei Andrievskii | Advisory Board Member, Bendura Bank AG | Liechtenstein