ArmInfo.Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Arpine Sargsyan and Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Karapetyan and Council of Europe's Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge discussed issues related to the liberalization of the visa regime, Armenia's possible membership in the EU, the ongoing strategic agendas in the field of combating corruption, the judicial system and the protection of human rights were in Strasbourg on March 21.
The meeting was also attended by the RA Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Arman Khachatryan.
According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sargsyan highly appreciated the cooperation established with the Council of Europe as a reliable partner supporting the Armenian agenda for the development of democratic institutions. The MIA Deputy Head also pointed out the significant contribution of the Council of Europe to large-scale reforms carried out in the field of internal affairs. In turn, Mr. Berge highly praised the determination of the Armenian government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in implementing ambitious sectoral reforms. In this vein, he expressed CoE's full support for the implementation of the reform program of the Armenian government.
During the meeting, the parties also touched upon the progress and success of projects implemented with the Council of Europe, joint steps taken as part of the implementation of ECHR decisions, including the development of a new law "On the Police Guard", which will guarantee new standards for the implementation of the right to freedom of assembly, will ensure proper documentation of work to prevent domestic violence and potential abuse. Particular attention was paid to consolidating strategic approaches to crime prevention.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue effective partnership and expand areas of cooperation.