On May 13, during a working visit to Luxembourg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Michael O’Flaherty.

The interlocutors discussed issues of cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe, particularly ongoing efforts in the areas of human rights protection, the development of democratic institutions and the strengthening of the rule of law. Both sides expressed satisfaction with the significant progress achieved by Armenia in recent years in democratic reforms, including in press freedom.

Among other topics, the process of reforms in the healthcare sector was touched upon, as well as indicators related to the protection of women’s rights in various countries and Armenia’s commitment in these directions.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights addressed Armenia’s efforts towards acceding to Council of Europe conventions, as well as the programs implemented by the Armenian government to address the needs of Armenians forcibly displaced from NK.

In the context of current geopolitical trends and regional developments, Ararat Mirzoyan and Michael O’Flaherty exchanged views on the possibilities for effectively utilizing multilateral platforms, including human rights protection mechanisms.