President receives PACE Monitoring Group Co-Rapporteurs for Armenia

President Serzh Sargsyan received PACE Monitoring Group Co-Rapporteurs for Armenia Alan Meale and Giuseppe Galati.

Greeting the guests, the President of Armenia highlighted the PACE-steered monitoring process in terms of strengthening democracy in Armenia and went on to stress that cooperation with the CoE is in the best interest of our country as significant progress has been achieved in recent years in the spheres of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The President underscored that Armenia has contributed to the development of that key European institution, since our country has always abided by its commitments assumed as a CoE-member State.

As Serzh Sargsyan pointed out, the meetings held with the PACE Co-Rapporteurs are marked by an open and constructive atmosphere that helps funnel work in the right direction and achieve positive results. The President noted that the Co-Rapporteurs’ visit has coincided with an important stage of systemic reforms in Armenia, which is unprecedented both in terms of raising the public’s trust in electoral processes and achieving a post-electoral consensus, which earned the positive feedback of international observer missions, including the PACE delegation.

President Sargsyan reaffirmed that the Council of Europe is an important partner for Armenia in the field of reforms, and our country is keen to build on the ongoing cooperation. Considering that Alan Meale was paying his last visit to Armenia as a co-rapporteur, Serzh Sargsyan appreciated his activities, which were described as highly constructive, aimed at finding effective solutions to existing problems.

The Co-Rapporteurs were pleased to state the changes they had witnessed during their visit. They welcomed Armenia’s policy of accommodating Syrian-Armenian refugees in their ancestors’ historical homeland and for the huge amount of support rendered to them, noting that it should be held up as an example to other countries and peoples.

The Co-Rapporteurs complimented the President of Armenia for tangible progress in the country, noting that the CoE hailed the transition from semi-presidential governance to a more democratic one – the parliamentary system, as well as the country’s consistency in the advancement of reforms stemming from the recently approved constitutional amendments.

Alan Meale and Giuseppe Galati expressed the hope that Armenia would continue making every effort to strengthen democracy and thereby enhance the country’s international standing.

During the meeting, reference was made to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process as mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs.