On May 12, in Madrid Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian participated in the 119th session of Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which takes places within the frameworks of 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Council of Europe. High-ranking delegations of the CoE 47 member-states, five observer states and international organizations, Chairmen of CoE Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights attended the session.

Prince of Spain Felipe also participated in the opening of the session and delivered a greeting speech.

The agenda of the session included different issues of organization’s activities. In the course of the session the Ministers also discussed the preparations for the elections of the CoE Secretary General and intermediate facilities for implementation of the 14th Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights which will allow to increase the efficiency of the activity of the European Court of Human Rights.

Edward Nalbandian also delivered a speech at the session of the Committee of Ministers. In his speech Armenian Foreign Minister stressed the role of the Council of Europe in establishment of stable and peaceful continent, as well as touched upon the settlement process of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue and mentioned that the legitimate concerns of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for security have been in heart of insisting on their internationally accepted legal right to self determination.Azerbaijan opposed to this by force – started with ethnic cleansings, than these actions developed into open aggression and large-scale hostilities against the people of Karabakh using mercenaries closely linked with terrorist organizations.

Speaking on the negotiation process of settlement of the issue Minister Nalbnadian emphasized that in 2001 the sides were very close to the settlement but because of the unconstructive position of Azerbaijan and rejection of  the reached agreements it didn’t happen.

Armenian Foreign Minister mentioned that the unconstructive position of Azerbaijan got its continuation by the leadership of Azerbaijan, which during months was refusing the very existence of the Madrid proposals presented by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in 2007.

Edward Nalbandian assessed the meetings of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Declarations and Statements adopted in Moscow and Helsinki in 2008 as signs of progress in peace process and expressed hope that if the Azerbaijani leadership gives up its unconstructive approaches and stops its militaristic and anti-Armenian propaganda, then the negotiations which conitinue within the frameworks of the Minsk Group can approach the positions of the sides and bring to the settlement of the issue.

On the same day during the meeting between Edward Nalbandian and Foreign Minister of Slovenia Samuel Žbogar Armenian Foreign Minister congratulated his Slovenian counterpart on assuming the Chairmanship of the Council of Europe and expressed readiness to give full support to the Slovenian Chairmanship. Ministers discussed issues concerning strengthening of bilateral relations, expansion of legal field, several regional issues of the CoE activities. In the course of the meeting, the two also touched upon the EU Eastern Partnership program.

Edward Nalbandian had meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Vygaudas Ušackas. Ministers discussed the ways of further enlargement of bilateral relationship. Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Lithuania exchanged views on global financial crisis and minimization of its consequences. On Vygaudas Ušackas’s request, Edward Nalbandian presented the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and recent developments in the process of settlement of Artsakh issue.

During the meeting between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Switzerland Edward Nalbandian and Micheline Calmy-Rey discussions focused on bilateral and regional issues. They also touched upon the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

The agenda of the meeting with Maria Teresa Gonçalves Ribeiro, Secretary of State for European Affairs includes the steps to be undertaken towards the deepening of Armenian-Portuguese bilateral relations. Ministers stressed the necessity to enlarge legal field. They also touched upon cooperation within European and international organizations.

In the course the meeting between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Balázs and Edward Nalbandian the two had a comprehensive talks on further development of bilateral relations, settlement of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue. Péter Balázs reaffirmed the invitation of the Preident of Hungary László Sólyom to the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan to visit Budapest.

Minister Nalbandian met Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Jeremic. They stressed warm relations and sympathy established between the two countries and nations and discussed issues concerning the ways of development of bilateral relationship, organization of high-ranking visits. Ministers also touched upon the expansion of cooperation within international organizations. Edward Nalbandian presented to his Serbian counterpart the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations and recent developments in the negotiations of settlement of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) issue. Vuk Jeremic thanked for balanced position of Armenia on Kosovo issue and presented the legal process on Kosovo in the International Court of Justice and the expectations of the Serbian side. Vuk Jeremic invited Edward Nalbandian to visit Belgrade.

Concluding his visit to Madrid Armenian Foreign Minister returned Yerevan.