Ireland has taken over the presidency of the Council of Europe.
The six month presidency is a significant boost to Ireland's diplomatic status at a time when the country also holds a seat on the UN Security Council.
Speaking at an event to mark the transition, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the move comes at a significant time diplomatically:
"The Council of Europe has become a much more prominent institution in the last six months because of Russian aggression. And we now need to follow through on our responsibilities to our citizens because this is all about protecting citizens, giving them the protection of the European Court of Human Rights and ensuring that those judgments actually matter and are implemented".
