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On the occasion of assuming the chairmanship of the Republic of Armenia at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe the delegation led by the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan was in Strasbourg on a working visit on June 26-27.

In Strasbourg the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon.

Welcoming the NA President the PACE President highlighted the visit of the President of the Armenian Parliament and his presence in the PACE session. Jean-Claude Mignon thanked the Armenian Parliament for excellent organization of the PACE bureau and Standing Committee meetings in Yerevan and holding them. The PACE President emphasized the chairmanship of Armenia at the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, the declared priorities and agenda. He deemed important the activities of the Armenian Parliamentary Delegation in the PACE and highly assessed the work done in the political groups and committees of the Assembly.

The RA NA President has noted that the first chairmanship of Armenia in the Council of Europe is a significant event for our country and a unique opportunity to have a contribution and participation in member countries in the formation of the pretentious agenda of the Council of Europe aimed at spreading democracy, human rights and rule of law, all-human values. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, Armenia greatly highlights and highly assesses the cooperation with the Council of Europe, as well as the support in the democratic reforms going on in our country. The NA President deemed important the role of the PACE in strengthening of democracy in Armenia, particularly, the co-rapporteurs’s work of the Monitoring Committee. In this aspect he has stressed the importance of Armenia-Council of Europe 2012-2014 Action Plan, which is called on to support Armenia in implementing its obligations, particularly continuing the reforms in judicial-legal and criminal-procedural systems, in educational sphere, boosting the freedom of media and protection the children’s rights, deepening the local democracy, improving the electoral legislation and practice.

The sides touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh issue, reaffirming the importance of the peaceful settlement of the problem under the auspice of the OSCE Minsk Group. The sides have agreed that any action which can disturb the work of the OSCE Minsk Group, should be excluded, at the same time reaffirming the three fundamental principles of the peaceful settlement of the NK problem proposed by Co-Chair countries.

At the end of the meeting the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan took a note in the PACE Book of Honorable Guests.

Within the framework of the visit the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Dean Spielmann.

The NA President has noted that Armenia highly assesses the role of the Court in the protection of human rights of the Europeans being resided in 47 member countries of the Council of Europe. He has documented with joy that the meeting takes place within the framework of the RA chairmanship at the CoE Committee of Ministers. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, the chairmanship of Armenia will continue the efforts of the previous chairmanships of the Council of Europe aimed at strengthening of the use of the European Convention of Human Rights. The effective use of Convention at national level is a necessary precondition for guaranteeing all citizens’ rights and freedoms of member states of the Council of Europe. “The member countries of the Council of Europe along with their differences are united with common values. And the European Court is the pillar of the protection of those values,” Hovik Abrahamyan said. The NA President has noted that Armenia will continue to support all the reforms, which are fixed in the declarations of Interlaken and Brighton. With this respect the elaboration of the Protocol 15 of the European Convention of Human Rights was considered an important step, which was opened for signature on June 24, and Armenia joined it among the first. Mr Abrahamyan also touched upon the works regarding Armenia. Speaking about the Safarov case being within the procedure of the European Court Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that it is not only the problem of Armenia, but also of the whole international community. “Armenia expects that the European Court will touch upon the mentioned issue merely from the legal point of view and will give an adequate legal assessment, which will be of importance for decisive prevention of such inadmissible deeds,” the NA President noted.

The Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights highlighted the visit of the President of the RA National Assembly and noted with joy that in future he would visit Armenia for the first time to take part in the international conference "The European Standards on the Rule of Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers in the Member States of the Council of Europe", to be held in the National Assembly. Dean Spielmann highly assessed the four Armenian lawyers’ work in the European Court and expressed hope that new young lawyers will be sent to the ECHR, as the Court due to its overloading needs additional lawyers. According to Spielmann, it is important and effective with respect to the exchange of experience. The ECHR President also touched upon the works regarding Armenia that they have complications of different degrees, but they are not of big number. Referring to Ramil Safarov’s case, Dean Spielmann noted that the European Court has experience of such sensitive cases and the assessment of the ECHR will be unequivocally legal.

At the meeting other issues were also discussed.

Within the framework of the visit the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Dean Spielmann.

The NA President has noted that Armenia highly assesses the role of the Court in the protection of human rights of the Europeans being resided in 47 member countries of the Council of Europe. He has documented with joy that the meeting takes place within the framework of the RA chairmanship at the CoE Committee of Ministers. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, the chairmanship of Armenia will continue the efforts of the previous chairmanships of the Council of Europe aimed at strengthening of the use of the European Convention of Human Rights. The effective use of Convention at national level is a necessary precondition for guaranteeing all citizens’ rights and freedoms of member states of the Council of Europe. “The member countries of the Council of Europe along with their differences are united with common values. And the European Court is the pillar of the protection of those values,” Hovik Abrahamyan said. The NA President has noted that Armenia will continue to support all the reforms, which are fixed in the declarations of Interlaken and Brighton. With this respect the elaboration of the Protocol 15 of the European Convention of Human Rights was considered an important step, which was opened for signature on June 24, and Armenia joined it among the first. Mr Abrahamyan also touched upon the works regarding Armenia. Speaking about the Safarov case being within the procedure of the European Court Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that it is not only the problem of Armenia, but also of the whole international community. “Armenia expects that the European Court will touch upon the mentioned issue merely from the legal point of view and will give an adequate legal assessment, which will be of importance for decisive prevention of such inadmissible deeds,” the NA President noted.

The Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights highlighted the visit of the President of the RA National Assembly and noted with joy that in future he would visit Armenia for the first time to take part in the international conference "The European Standards on the Rule of Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers in the Member States of the Council of Europe", to be held in the National Assembly. Dean Spielmann highly assessed the four Armenian lawyers’ work in the European Court and expressed hope that new young lawyers will be sent to the ECHR, as the Court due to its overloading needs additional lawyers. According to Spielmann, it is important and effective with respect to the exchange of experience. The ECHR President also touched upon the works regarding Armenia that they have complications of different degrees, but they are not of big number. Referring to Ramil Safarov’s case, Dean Spielmann noted that the European Court has experience of such sensitive cases and the assessment of the ECHR will be unequivocally legal.

At the meeting other issues were also discussed.

Within the framework of the visit the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Dean Spielmann.

The NA President has noted that Armenia highly assesses the role of the Court in the protection of human rights of the Europeans being resided in 47 member countries of the Council of Europe. He has documented with joy that the meeting takes place within the framework of the RA chairmanship at the CoE Committee of Ministers. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, the chairmanship of Armenia will continue the efforts of the previous chairmanships of the Council of Europe aimed at strengthening of the use of the European Convention of Human Rights. The effective use of Convention at national level is a necessary precondition for guaranteeing all citizens’ rights and freedoms of member states of the Council of Europe. “The member countries of the Council of Europe along with their differences are united with common values. And the European Court is the pillar of the protection of those values,” Hovik Abrahamyan said. The NA President has noted that Armenia will continue to support all the reforms, which are set out in the declarations of Interlaken and Brighton. With this respect the elaboration of the Protocol 15 of the European Convention of Human Rights was considered an important step, which was opened for signature on June 24, and Armenia joined it among the first. Mr Abrahamyan also touched upon the works regarding Armenia. Speaking about the Safarov case being within the procedure of the European Court Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that it is not only the problem of Armenia, but also of the whole international community. “Armenia expects that the European Court will touch upon the mentioned issue merely from the legal point of view and will give an adequate legal assessment, which will be of importance for decisive prevention of such inadmissible deeds,” the NA President noted.

The Chairman of the European Court of Human Rights highlighted the visit of the President of the RA National Assembly and noted with joy that in future he would visit Armenia for the first time to take part in the international conference "The European Standards on the Rule of Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers in the Member States of the Council of Europe", to be held in the National Assembly. Dean Spielmann highly assessed the four Armenian lawyers’ work in the European Court and expressed hope that new young lawyers will be sent to the ECHR, as the Court due to its overloading needs additional lawyers. According to Spielmann, it is important and effective with respect to the exchange of experience. The ECHR President also touched upon the works regarding Armenia that they have complications of different degrees, but they are not of big number. Referring to Ramil Safarov’s case, Dean Spielmann noted that the European Court has experience of such sensitive cases and the assessment of the ECHR will be unequivocally legal.

At the meeting other issues were also discussed.