Friday, November 5 2021 11:08

ArmInfo.On November 4 RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the  monitoring of obligations and commitments by Armenia Kimmo Kiljunen  (Finland, SOC) and Boriana Aberg (Sweden, EPP/CD).

As reported by the press service of the RA MFA, during the meeting  the interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the effective  cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe (CoE). 

Mirzoyan highly appreciated the support provided by the Council of  Europe in strengthening democracy, ensuring the rule of law and  promoting human rights in Armenia. At the same time, he added that  the Council of Europe is one of Armenia's strong partners in carrying  out key reforms in the above areas.

At the same time, the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry highly  appreciated the statements and appeals of various CoE bodies, in  particular the co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee, as  well as the committee on the cessation of hostilities from the very  first days of the 44-day war.

Mirzoyan stressed that upon joining the Council of Europe, both  Armenia and Azerbaijan committed themselves to settle the  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict exclusively by peaceful means, and the  outbreak of war by Baku was a clear violation of this obligation.

The interlocutors touched upon humanitarian problems caused by  Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh.  In this context, the RA  Foreign Minister stressed the need for unhindered access for  international organizations, including the competent bodies of the  Council of Europe in Artsakh.

Mirzoyan stressed the need for the unconditional return of Armenian  prisoners of war and other citizens. In this regard, the RA Foreign  Minister pointed out the importance of the discussion on the issue of  Armenian prisoners of war at the PACE plenary session in April 2021  and the adoption of a report on the humanitarian consequences of the  war in September. The importance of preserving the Armenian  religious, historical and cultural heritage of Artsakh in the  territories that came under the control of Azerbaijan was also  emphasized.