President’s statement on the results of the meeting with the CE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland before the representatives of mass media

Distinguished Mr. Secretary General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have had a sincere and constructive meeting with the CE Secretary General Mr. Jagland. We spoke about Armenia’s priorities during her Chairmanship at the Council of Europe, particularly relating to the CE reforms, greater efficiency of the European Court for Human Rights and, of course, relating to the necessity to fight against racism and intolerance. Armenia attaches great importance to the efficient functioning of the Council of Europe and will continue to contribute to the European efforts aimed at the elevation of the Organization’s role and prestige.

Armenia remains forever faithful to the all-European values which are vital prerequisites of our country’s prosperity, pan-European cooperation, sustainable development, and preservation of peace. Our country’s vision for development is anchored in the system of values which comprises enforcement and maturing of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

With regard to Armenia’s future steps in the framework of her Chairmanship, we attach importance to the Conference on the Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance to be held in Yerevan on October 21-22 which will be attended by the CE Secretary General. We believe this topic is more than urgent today and we can withstand such challenges through the experience accumulated by the Council of Europe and efficient use of its legal tools.

We have also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh issue. We once again reiterated our full confidence in the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format.