Ukrainian Foreign Ministry was positive about the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe that maintains independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders.

"We assess the decision of the Committee of Ministers as one more confirmation of support of the Council of Europe the efforts of Ukraine to oppose Russian aggression and evidence of readiness to ensure monitoring of the situation in human rights and illegally occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol in accordance to international and legal standards," a ministry's press service said on Thursday.

The ministry stressed that such approach completely meets Ukraine's stance on necessity to making a respective assessment of the situation exclusively through conventional and standard monitoring mechanisms of UN, Council of Europe and OSCE.

On April 27, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at its sitting approved the 12th decision over Ukraine since Russian aggression occurred. The document condemns illegal annexation by the Russian Federation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

"The Committee of Ministers expressed their deep concern at the deterioration of the human rights situation on the Crimean peninsula, including the denial of freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of religion and belief, and the repression against persons belonging to minorities, in particular the Crimean Tatars and the Mejlis as their self-governing body; deeply deplored, in this context, that the Mejlis has been qualified as an 'extremist organization', and its activities prohibited, by the so-called 'Highest Court of Crimea'; called for full compliance with international human rights standards and for the investigation of all pending cases of human rights violations," reads a document following the committee's 12th meeting.

Besides, the ministers reiterated their call for full and unrestricted access to the territories which are beyond the control of the Ukrainian authorities, including on the Crimean Peninsula, to all human rights bodies of the Council of Europe, in order that they can carry out their monitoring activities unimpeded and in accordance with their mandates.

"We continue to encourage the reform efforts undertaken by the Ukrainian authorities, based, inter alia, upon advice by the Venice Commission and support from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and aiming at strengthening the implementation of Council of Europe standards in the country concerning the constitutional framework, the functioning of democratic institutions, the rule of law and the effective protection of human rights," says the document.

The Committee of Ministers also welcomed the adoption by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko of the National Human Rights Strategy followed by the adoption by the Government of Ukraine of the National Action Plan for Human Rights in Ukraine prepared in co-operation with the Council of Europe and other relevant international organizations, and reiterated its readiness to assist in their implementation, as well as to participate in evaluation of the progress achieved.