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At October 8 press conference, the Head of the RA NA Delegation to PACE Ruben Rubinyan, the members of the delegation Naira Zohrabyan, Tatevik Hayrapetyan, Vladimir Vardanyan, Hovhannes Igityan and Mikayel Melkumyan presented details about the works of the Autumn Session of the Assembly held in Strasbourg.

The Head of the RA NA Delegation to PACE Ruben Rubinyan highlighted the event initiated by the Armenian delegation, and its theme debate was the rights of the people residing in the ‘grey zones.’ By the support of the NA President Ararat Mirzoyan the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh Artak Beglaryan left for Strasbourg and took part in the event. He presented the situation regarding the human rights in Artsakh and touched upon the events held on Artsakh.

Touching upon the event Hovhannes Igityan has informed that the Secretary General in her report has noted that the organization is going to have a serious role in the issue of protection of human rights in such zones.

Assessing the event important and unprecedented Naira Zohrabyan has noted that it is necessary to reach to a point when the Human Rights Commissioner will be in Artsakh, in other non-recognized states, as it is the PACE mandate. At PACE meeting Naira Zohrabyan also talked about the elections of the local self-government bodies held in Artsakh Republic, underlining that the observers taking part in the elections considered free, transparent and democratic. According to the speaker, the PACE is obliged to take into consideration the elections and react to it.

According to the members of the delegation, the delegation of Azerbaijan acted more aggressive in this Session, than in the previous ones. The Armenian parliamentarians answered to the absurd announcements voiced on Armenia and Artsakh based on the CoE legislation.

Mikayel Melkumyan emphasized the item of Armenia’s joining the Bank of the Council of Europe.

According to Vladimir Vardanyan, at the last Meeting of the Session the 70^th anniversary of the organization was marked. Within that framework the delegation was hosted by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. During the meeting they also referred to the issues relating to the activity of the Council of Europe.

At the Session Vladimir Vardanyan was included in the Committee of the ECHR judges' election, Ruben Rubinyan – in the Monitoring Committee. It has been noted that Armenia is represented in all key Committees of the Assembly.