Tuesday, June 30 2020 20:27

ArmInfo. On June 30, RA Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the Head of the Council of Europe  Office in Yerevan Natalia Voutova, who is completing her mission in  the country.

According to the press service of the Government of Armenia, during  the meeting, the Prime Minister praised the cooperation with Natalia  Voutova and the Council of Europe, noting that the Council of Europe  is one of the most important partners of Armenia in the consistent  development and strengthening of democracy. , Nikol Pashinyan said.

Natalia Voutova considered it an honor to work as head of the Council  of Europe office in Armenia, stressing that the CE attaches great  importance to cooperation with Armenia. According to her, the Council  of Europe is strong when its member states are strong, and the  Council of Europe is ready to continue to support Armenia in  strengthening democracy, the rule of law and protecting human rights.

The interlocutors touched upon the democratic agenda of Armenia. The  Prime Minister emphasized that the continuous implementation of  reforms and the strengthening of institutions are the priorities of  the Armenian government. They are aimed at guaranteeing the free  expression of the will of the citizens of Armenia, the independence  of the judiciary, ensuring transparency in governance, guaranteeing  freedom of speech, and the government will consistently move forward  in implementing this agenda.  The head of the Council of Europe  office in Armenia noted that long-term, strong democracy is based on  strong, transparent, reliable institutions, and government steps in  this direction are welcome.

The meeting touched on judicial reforms. In this regard Nikol  Pashinyan noted that the reform is aimed at restoring public  confidence in the judiciary. In turn, Natalia Voutova stated that the  Council of Europe will continue to provide advisory assistance to the  Armenian government in this process.  The Prime Minister and the Head  of the Council of Europe office in Armenia exchanged views about the  velvet, non-violent revolution and the realization of its values.

Sharing her impressions, Natalia Voutova noted that she was glad to  be in Armenia during the days of the revolution, to feel the  atmosphere of solidarity and to be part of those historical events  for Armenia and the Armenian people.

Expressing gratitude for the kind words, Nikol Pashinyan noted that  the velvet non-violent revolution of 2018 was a process of historical  transformation and change of values for Armenia and the Armenian  people, and it continues to this day. The Prime Minister emphasized  that the government will continue the mission to achieve the goals of  the revolution and meet the expectations of the citizens of Armenia.  "This is not an easy path, but there is no other way to build a free  and developed Armenia," Nikol Pashinyan concluded.