ArmInfo. The 128th conference of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was held in Denmark from 17 to 18 May, in which the permanent representative of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan participated.
As the press service of the Foreign Ministry informs, the topics of the conference were devoted to the future of the Council of Europe, current and potential challenges, as well as threats to multilateral diplomacy. Among other issues, there was also an exchange of views on the disclosure of information on corruption and follow-up to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
At the official meeting of the conference, Ambassador Hovhannisyan noted in his speech: "Armenia is convinced that there should not be so-called "gray zones" for the protection of human rights in Europe, and the rights and freedoms of people living in conflict zones must be respected and protected. The goal is to guarantee the free access of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, as well as the relevant monitoring bodies to these territories."
In this context, the he suggested that the Committee of Ministers pay attention to the fact that the Republic of Artsakh unilaterally joined a number of international fundamental documents, including the European Convention on Human Rights. He stressed the inalienable right of the people of Artsakh to self- determination, adding that this is also one of the key principles of negotiations with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Referring to the report on corruption in the PACE, Paruyr Hovhannisyan, referring to the German daily Deutsche Welle, noted that "Azerbaijan has more effectively implemented its values to the West than the West to Azerbaijan."
In conclusion, the Permanent Representative of Armenia noted: "The Council of Europe played a key role in strengthening democracy in Armenia." The recent domestic political events, which were resolved in an atmosphere of tolerance and solidarity, showed the commitment of the Armenian society to the ideas of democracy. "Democracy in Armenia is irreversible, and the government will do everything We are looking forward to supporting the Council of Europe in this process."