The 42nd session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is taking place in Strasbourg, France at which the Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Chernyshov delivered a speech..

The Congress represents more than 150,000 European municipalities and regions. Together, this is a great force that can and must say its word today to stop the bloody aggressor.

During his speech, Oleksii Chernyshov demonstrated the consequences russia's terror in Ukraine. He also called on Congress to condemn Russia's actions as a terrorist state and a war criminal and to make new decisions in the light of new challenges. In particular, increase pressure on the aggressor state:

Make those decisions that will protect the sky over Ukraine as much as possible;

Achieve the closure of all offices in russia of companies operating in European cities;

Prohibit russian ships from serving in ports and trucks from crossing borders;

Stop any possibility of spreading fakes by russia. Its propaganda channels must be turned off in any European country;

Establish a horizontal - direct partnership with local authorities of Ukraine;

Terminate all relations with russian cities and cancel the decision to twin with them - russia must feel growing isolation at all levels;

Oppose persecution of community leaders and local government representatives in the temporarily occupied territories.

The minister added that one way to fight could be to follow the initiative of the mayors of Austrian cities, led by Carmen Kiefer, in an attempt to "get through to" to their colleagues in russia, which began last week.

"I am convinced that the letters they sent to mayors and politicians at the regional level from the cities of russia from where regular troops were sent to Ukraine have opened the eyes of many russians to what is really happening in the heart of Europe. We urge you not to stop and continue the struggle on the information front, " Oleksii Chernyshov stressed.

He also invited members of Congress to join the initiative of the Council of Europe-sponsored International Marathon "Unity of Local Government for the Welfare of People and Peace", organized by the Minister for Communities and Territories Development in partnership with the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the Association of United Territorial Communities.