On July 4 Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, received Mr. Rene van der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe/PACE. Mr. Avet Adonts, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration, Ms. Bojana Urumova, Special Representative of the Council of Europe, Secretary General to Armenia, and Mr. Christian Ter Stepanian, Permanent Representative of the Council of Europe, participated in the meeting.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, welcoming the guest expressed gratitude on the occasion of giving high estimation to the parliamentary elections, which was an important response for Armenia and assured that the policy of reforms and deepening of the Euro integration will be continued in the same way.

Mr. Rene van der Linden, PACE President, congratulating for the elections held in accordance with democratic standards, highlighted the deepening of the reforms. He touched upon the amendment of the bill of the RA law on TV and radio debated during the NA special session and getting the NA President’s clarification expressed satisfaction that there isn’t any efforts to limit the freedom of the mass media in Armenia. Mr. Rene van der Linden also highlighted the reforms of the judicial system and the role of the parliament in that process.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan reminded that the parliament of the previous convocation adopted a new and voluminous Judicial Code, which set the beginning of the establishment of the judicial system in Armenia, and now steps are taken in the direction of the introduction of a new Judicial Code: the National Assembly is ready to react immediately to any problem, arisen during that period.

Touching upon the importance to hold the upcoming presidential elections in accordance with democratic standards Mr. Rene van der Linden noted the issue of the reform of the Electoral Code. Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, who has received the conclusion of the Venice Commission related to the Electoral Code a few days ago, noted that it is already studied, and the proposals will be prepared during the summer in case if the changes are necessary for debating and adopting the necessary amendments at the autumn session.

During the meeting the Nagorno Karabakh issue was also touched upon: the PACE President noted that there wasn’t any progress in the process of overcoming the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and the works of forming the public opinion for solving that problem by negotiating process is not carried out. Mr. Tigran Torosyan qualifying Mr. Rene van der Linden’s estimationappropriate noted that, unfortunately, many people don’t notice it. The most important indicator in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the opinion that is forming in Armenia, Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and this indicator testifies, that anybody neither in Armenia, nor in Karabakh propagandizes hatred and war towards other people while it is observed opposite in Azerbaijan. The proof of the above mentioned became the reaction, which had followed after the recent visits of the Armenian and Azerbaijani intellectuals to Yerevan, Stepanakert and Baku.This initiative was appreciated in Armenia and Stepanakert, while in Baku reproaches and protest actions in mass media as well as in the meetings prevailed. And it contradicts the PACE N1416 Resolution, where it is directly noted that it is inadmissible to propagandize war and hatred. The NA President noted that the international organizations will really assist to the settlement of the conflict only in case if they give an impartial estimation what kind of attitude exists in each country. Also it is not necessary to connect the display of hatred and propaganda of war with elections at all: anyway, during the parliamentary and before the presidential elections in Armenia there haven’t been similar displays. Mr. Torosyan emphasized the importance of the objective estimations, which will give an opportunity for correct evaluation of the situation and for making corresponding conclusions, which will be a positive contribution in the settlement of the conflict.

Touching upon the relations between Armenia and Turkey, Mr. Rene van der Linden, PACE President, noted that the closed doors do not bring to any positive result. According to Mr. Tigran Torosyan’s estimation, the Council of Europe also has great opportunities to influence on that issue taking into account the system of the European values and the circumstance that both Armenia and Turkey are the members of the Council of Europe, and they are obliged to build their relations on the basis of this value system.