Today, the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received the Head of the Group of Rapporteurs on Democracy of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (C), the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the Council of Europe, Ambassador Mårten Ehnberg, and his delegation consisting of Ambassadors of France, Russia, Switzerland, Finland and Estonia, Andorra and Iceland, and Representatives of the CE Secretariat.
"We are here to understand how the work on implementing the CE-Armenia Action Plan 2019-2022 goes," said the head of the delegation Mårtin Ehnberg, noting that the visit is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the situation on the spot, have discussions and receive information.
The interlocutors referred to the assistance provided by the Council of Europe in the field of democratic reforms, ensuring the rule of law and protection of human rights in Armenia. In the context of the country's development and strengthening of democracy, President Sarkissian particularly emphasized the existence of a balanced system of government, the adoption of a constitution with effective mechanisms of checks and balances, which will contribute to the country's democratic progress and enable full and effective involvement of the Diaspora.
President Sarkissian and the Ambassadors exchanged views on the post-war situation, in particular, humanitarian and border issues. President Sarkissian noted that Azerbaijan continues to detain Armenian prisoners of war and civilians, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
Answering the questions of the diplomats, President Sarkissian presented his observations on the directions of Armenia's development, emphasizing that the future of Armenia is the creation of an effective educational system and scientific-technological progress. He also referred to the "Armenian Summit of Minds" to be held in Dilijan on October 23-24 (the main topics of which will be dedicated to global-regional geopolitics and new technologies), as well as the STARMUS 6th International Science and Art Festival scheduled for next year.
