16:52,
YEREVAN, JUNE 17, ARMENPRESS. During the 21 years of its membership to the Council of Europe, Armenia has demonstrated a high dedication to the cooperation with the organization, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić said during a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan.
“Armenia has signed and ratified 66 conventions and joined 12 agreements. During those years Armenia has actively contributed to the creation of the legal and political agenda of Europe. I am sure that the Council of Europe in its turn has contributed to the progress of the reforms in Armenia. I hope this visit will further strengthen the level of the dialogue and cooperation between Armenia and Council of Europe under the light of current and future programs”, the CoE Secretary General said.
She welcomed the readiness of the Armenian authorities to implement the 2019-2022 action plan for Armenia. She said that currently they are developing the 2023-2026 action plan for Armenia.
“In this respect I encourage Armenia to continue fully using the support and experience of the Council of Europe, for instance, to finalize the electoral reforms making them in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, as well as the law on mass media and the recommendations for constitutional reforms”, she said.
As for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, the CoE Secretary General said the meetings between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, as well as the statements over it, for example about the work of the delimitation commission, are welcome.
“We need to achieve trust and reconciliation. All initiatives on this direction are welcome and should be supported”, she said.