The Council of Europe has outlined the agenda for the annual session of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of its 46 member states, to be held in Chișinău on 15 May 2026 and opened by Moldovan President Maia Sandu. The meeting is intended to set the organisation’s policy objectives at ministerial level, with discussions centred on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including post-war accountability and reconstruction, the Council of Europe’s migration work, and the New Democratic Pact for Europe. A concrete outcome planned for the session is the adoption of a new Additional Protocol to the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism. The agenda also includes manipulation of information and foreign interference, including protection of democratic processes and electoral integrity, as well as ways to strengthen democratic resilience. Ministers will debate the future external action strategy of the Council of Europe and the broader issue of international co-operation and effective multilateralism. On migration, the discussion follows the ministerial conference of 10 December 2025, which called for a declaration by the Committee of Ministers reflecting a joint European approach. A treaty signing ceremony is planned alongside the session to allow countries to accede to recent Council of Europe conventions. At the end of the meeting, the Republic of Moldova will hand over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to Monaco, with Moldova presenting a review of its presidency and Monaco setting out its priorities for the following six months.
Council of Europe 2026-05-07
Council of Europe sets agenda for 15 May Foreign Ministers session including Ukraine migration and new money laundering protocol
The Council of Europe has set the agenda for the 15 May 2026 annual session of Foreign Affairs Ministers in Chișinău, which will define ministerial-level policy objectives and is expected to adopt a new Additional Protocol to the Convention on Laundering and on the Financing of Terrorism. Discussions will focus on Russia’s war against Ukraine, post-war accountability and reconstruction, migration, the New Democratic Pact for Europe, information manipulation and foreign interference, and the Council of Europe’s future external action strategy. A treaty signing ceremony will enable accessions to recent Council of Europe conventions, and the Republic of Moldova will transfer the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers to Monaco.