COUNCIL OF EUROPE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS CHAIRPERSON TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency
Jan 22 2008
Azerbaijan
Jan Kubi~Z, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Chairperson
of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers made speech on the
second day of the PACE winter session, APA’s Europe bureau reports.
Jan Kubi~Z said that one of the main priorities is the cooperation
with the European Union. Noting that the Council of Europe achieved
great improvements in the field of human rights, Jan Kubi~Z said
broad discussions will be held in the Committee of Ministers in April
this year.
The chairperson said Committee of Ministers closely follows the
situation in the South Caucasus, as well as ongoing processes in
Armenia and Azerbaijan and underlined that special attention is paid
to the freedom of media in these countries.
"We call on the authorities of these states to make all the necessary
arrangements to ensure that Council of Europe standards and principles
are observed and welcome reforms carried out by the Armenian and
Azerbaijani authorities concerning the independence and functioning of
the judicial system. Elections will be held in these countries this
year and I recall that last year the Committee of Ministers adopted
an action plan to provide the Armenian authorities with pre-election
assistance. A similar action plan for Azerbaijan is under examination
by the Ministers’ Deputies. The Committee of Ministers will closely
monitor the conclusions of the Parliamentary Assembly mission observing
the presidential elections in these countries. I intend to visit
Armenia and Azerbaijan in the first quarter of 2008. /APA/