NA CHAIRMAN TIGRAN TOROSYAN RECEIVED COE COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Public Radio, Armenia
Oct 14 2006

October 14 RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosyan received
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg. The
meeting was attended by the Special Representative of CoE Secretary
General Bojana Urumova and Armenia’s Permanent Representative
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Christian
Ter-Stepanyan.

NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan informed the guest about the activity of
the Parliament. It was noted that the Electoral Code will be amended
by the end of the year, which will serve as a good legal basis for
holding the elections in compliance with democratic standards. In
this regard importance was attached to the tolerance and cooperation
of political forces. Reference was made to the new opportunities
for human rights defense, reforms in the court and legal and local
self-governance systems, creation of balance between branches of
power provided by the Constitutional amendments.

Mr. Hammarberg noted that during the several days spent in Yerevan
he had the chance to see the great progress Armenia has achieved on
its way from a Soviet republic to an independent state. Turning to
the upcoming elections, CoE Commissioner characterized these as an
opportunity to continue the democratic developments.