Pashinyan meets with PACE head in Strasbourg

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg on Monday.

He was welcomed at the entrance by the PACE head and PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou, after which Nikol Pashinyan made a note in the PACE President’s Golden Book and took a short tour, the Armenian government reported.

During the meeting, the agenda of cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Council of Europe was discussed, highlighting the reforms being implemented to develop democratic institutions, protect human rights and strengthen the rule of law. Pashinyan emphasized the readiness of his government to continue effective cooperation with various bodies of the Council of Europe.

The parties also touched upon the working relations established with PACE, as well as cooperation in the sphere of monitoring. The interlocutors emphasized that the deepening of the Armenia-Council of Europe partnership is important for both institutional resilience and integration processes with the European legal area.

The agenda of the current PACE session was touched upon. Pashinyan thanked Rousopoulos for the high-level hospitality and constant support, emphasizing that Armenia appreciates the role of the Council of Europe in promoting the peace agenda in the region, the protection of fundamental freedoms, and the improvement of the efficiency of the judicial system.

The parties reaffirmed their readiness to continue the dialogue and expand practical cooperation.

The Armenian premier and the PACE president exchanged views on regional and international issues.

The interlocutors highlighted the initialing of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8 in Washington and expressed confidence that the establishment of peace will give a new and significant impetus to the development of cooperation and ensuring stability in the region.