It was the Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, Alexander Konovalov, who presented the documents to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland.
In a press release the Secretary General warmly welcomes the ratification which he sees as a confirmation by the Russian Federation of its commitment to Europe.
He stated: “We are in Interlaken, at the initiative of the Swiss Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, to discuss the future of the European Court of Human Rights. This final ratification is the result of a dialogue conducted with the highest Russian authorities and signals the start of a genuine reform of the Court”
The head of the federal department of foreign affairs of Switzerland and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, Micheline Calmy-Rey, refers to the event as “Excellent news for all Europeans”.
In a press release of 18 February 2010 she underlines the importance of Protocol no. 14 as an instrument to increase the efficiency of the court and also the opening of EU accession to the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Furthermore she stresses the need for additional measures to be agreed upon in to improve the courts capacity and secure the future of the court as the optimal guarantor of fundamental rights and freedoms in Europe.
The ratification by the Russian Federation is also seen as an important political message. The newly elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, states:
“The Russian authorities are sending us a strong message today. First of all, the ratification illustrates Russia’s will to be a major political player within the organisation. It shows Russia’s firm commitment to the Council of Europe’s values and protection mechanisms, and it encourages Russian courts to make sure that their judgments take into account the European Convention on Human Rights and the Strasbourg Court’s case-law”.