Meeting between Jean-Noël Barrot and Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot met with Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg on April 20, 2026.

The Minister reaffirmed that France is proud to host the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a temple of democracy that brings together parliamentary delegations from the entire continent, in Strasbourg, France, the capital of European parliamentarianism.

The Minister commended President Bayr on her commitment to the European Court of Human Rights’ independence and her resolute support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s war of aggression, ever since she was elected as President of the Assembly in January 2026.

The Minister and the President discussed the efforts to combat Russia’s impunity that are under way at the Council of Europe.

The Minister applauded the Parliamentary Assembly’s contributions to the Council of Europe’s work on combatting foreign interference and information manipulation.