Armenian president: We reaffirmed our trust in Minsk Group

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met today with the Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland. Following the closed meeting held in the Council of Europe, the sides made statements.

T. Jagland said the Armenia currently chairs the CE Committee of Ministers and they have the honor to host the Armenian president in the Council of Europe. Mr. Jagland highly appreciated the active and efficient work of the Armenian team.
In the words of T. Jagland, they appreciate the fact that Armenia took the path of the struggle against xenophobia, which is one of his priorities as CE Secretary General. He said he and the Armenian president discussed the issue of constitutional reforms in Armenia and he expressed willingness to assist Armenia in this matter.

Serzh Sargsyan said in his speech that he and the CE Secretary General discussed the priorities of Armenia’s Chairmanship of the CE Committee of Ministers.

He noted that Armenia attaches great importance to activities of the Council of Europe and will continue to assist with enhancement of the CE’s role and importance.

“Armenia is greatly committed to European values as an important guarantee of our country’s prosperity, all-European cooperation, sustainable development, and maintenance of peace. Promotion of democracy, the rule of law and human rights is the system of values, on which the vision of our country’s development is based,” S. Sargsyan stated.

As regards work to be done as part of Armenia’s Chairmanship of the CE Committee of Ministers, importance was attached to to the conference on the struggle against xenophobia, racism and intolerance to be held in Yerevan on October 21-22. Thorbjorn Jagland will attend the event.

The Armenian president noted that the Nagorno Karabakh problem was also discussed. “We reaffirmed our trust in the Minsk Group,” he said.

When asked what can be done so that everyone in the CE space could use the created benefits, given the fact that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, while being geographical part of the Council of Europe, is deprived of the benefits created for the CE community, T. Jagland replied that the Council of Europe does not participate in the work aimed at political solution of the Karabakh problem.

“Everything should be done within the framework of the Minsk Group, while we didn’t receive such an application from the Minsk Group,” the Council of Europe Secretary General said.