On November 20, Acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Strasbourg on a working visit, met with Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and the CoE Secretary General highly appreciated the effective cooperation established between Armenia and the Council of Europe, exchanged views on a number of issues related to Armenia's engagement in the Organization.

Highlighting the role of the Council of Europe in the protection of democracy and human rights, Acting Minister Mnatsakanyan underlined that the 70th anniversary of the Organization next year will serve as a good milestone for summing up the achievements reached and outlining main directions of further activities.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the effective implementation of the Armenia-CoE Action Plan and the work towards elaboration of a new action plan.

Touching upon the challenges that the Organization faces, Acting Minister Mnatsakanyan expressed Armenia's full support to the efforts aimed at addressing them in order to enhance the efficiency and to strengthen the reputation of the Organization.

Zohrab Mnatsakanyan expressed his concern over political manipulations in the structure over some issues, particularly those related to the promotion of European values ​​and protection of human rights. Both sides highlighted the importance of ensuring the comprehensiveness of cooperation on the above mentioned issues.

The Acting Foreign Minister presented the tangible achievements and positive changes registered in the process of implementation of reforms by the Government of Armenia based on the broad popular mandate it enjoys. Touching upon the snap parliamentary elections in Armenia, Acting Minister Mnatsakanyan emphasized that conducting free, fair and transparent elections is one of the priorities of the Armenian government.

Acting Minister Mnatsakanyan briefed the CoE Secretary General on the position and approaches of Armenia towards the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reiterating the commitment of the Armenian side to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.