Other participants at the ceremony includes the newly elected Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland, the President of Slovenia Danilo Türk, Mikhail Gorbachev and José Manuel Barroso. The Minister will in her speech bring out the close cooperation between the EU and the Council of Europe, which rests on the respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The work of the Council of Europe, in particular the European Court for Human Rights, has played a vital role when it comes to assuring safety and stability in Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The EU will continue its active support to the Council of Europe within the scope of its core values.