Five Years of Membership of Armenia to the Council of Europe

National Assembly of RA, Armenia
May 6 2006

On May 5 RA NA Artur Baghdasaryan received Jean-Louis Laurens, Director
General of Political Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Council
of Europe. Boyana Urumova, Special Representative of the General
Secretary of the Council of Europe in Armenia attended the meeting.

During the meeting the sides touched upon the achievements of five
years after the membership of Armenia to the Council of Europe and
prospects. It was noted that those years have been years of active
work and cooperation, during which the guidelines of the path from
the Council of Europe to the European Union have been outlined. RA
NA President Artur Baghdasaryan touched upon the process of the
fulfillment of the undertaken obligations of Armenia in the Council of
Europe, noting that after the constitutional amendments legislation
reforms are made in judicial, local self-government and territorial
management systems and Electoral Code.

Mr. Laurens, highlighting the success of democratic reforms in Armenia,
underscored the necessity of the existence of legislative bases and
political will for holding the general elections free and fair. In
Mr. Laurens’ opinion, five years ago the political course adopted
by Armenia in the aspect of getting integrated into European family
and the accepted value systems for the progress of Armenia is of
positive importance.