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President Held A Number Of Meetings At The Pace And Made A Statement

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  • President Held A Number Of Meetings At The Pace And Made A Statement

    PRESIDENT HELD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS AT THE PACE AND MADE A STATEMENT AT THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE PACE

    http://www.president.am/en/press-release/item/2013/10/02/President-Serzh-Sargsyan-participated-at-the-session-of-the-PACE/
    02.10.2013

    President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in France on a working visit, today
    in Strasbourg met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly
    of the Council of Europe (PACE) Jean-Claude Mignon, CE Secretary
    General Thorbjørn Jagland and CE Commissioner for Human Rights
    Nils Muižnieks.

    At the conclusion of the meeting with CE Secretary General, President
    Serzh Sargsyan and Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland summarized the results
    of the negotiations and responded to the questions asked by the
    representatives of the mass media.

    Later, President Serzh Sargsyan participated at the plenary session
    of PACE. He made a statement and responded to the questions raised
    by the members of the Assembly.

    **** Statement of Serzh Sargsyan the President of the Republic of
    Armenia in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

    Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Honorable Members of the
    Assembly,

    I am glad for this opportunity to address the Parliamentary Assembly of
    the Council of Europe--our Organization that represents 800 million
    Europeans.

    It is a particular honor and responsibility for my country to hold,
    for the first time ever, the Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers
    of the Council of Europe. During this six-month Chairmanship, we have
    aspired to make a contribution to the strengthening of the European
    system of values as a means of confirming that Europe is a family
    of nations committed to common values, and not merely a geographic
    toponym.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    A few days ago, Armenia celebrated the 22nd anniversary of her
    independence. The 22-year-long path of building a free and democratic
    state has not been easy. With Azerbaijan, which is constantly voicing
    war threats and forcing an arms race, Turkey, which contrary to all
    international rules and norms is keeping closed the shortest route
    connecting Armenia with the outer world for so many years have forced
    us to make extraordinary efforts to develop and build a modern state.

    Acting in a complex environment which is not comparable with the
    conditions of any other state, successive Armenian governments and the
    Armenian people have remained focused on the pursuit of substantial
    reforms in all the areas of our public life.

    Declaration of independence was the realization of a dream held by
    my people for many centuries and many generations. Accession to the
    Council of Europe restored our historical and cultural belonging to
    the European family of nations. Our society has always clearly aspired
    to have a state system anchored in the system of European values -
    freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. We view our membership
    in the Council of Europe and our cooperation with other European
    organizations as an important means of consolidating democracy and
    carrying out effective reforms in Armenia.

    The results of our joint efforts are visible and irreversible. Armenia
    today is a country of free speech and free media. We safeguard the
    freedom of assembly; civil society is vibrant and aware of its rights
    and ways to uphold them. These and numerous other achievements are,
    in my opinion, essential for our future.

    Honorable Members of the Assembly,

    Armenia completed three major electoral cycles in the last eighteen
    months. As a result of the May 2012 parliamentary elections,
    all significant political players in Armenia gained seats in
    the Parliament, making it a stronger and more viable political
    entity. The 2013 presidential elections were conducted in a competitive
    environment; the Yerevan City Council elections were held in May.

    The Council of Europe sent observation missions to all three
    elections. The first two were observed by the Assembly, while the
    Yerevan City Council elections were observed by the Congress of
    Local and Regional Authorities of the CE. The delegations were able
    to observe the elections and produce reports containing relevant
    recommendations. I value these reports as a candid opinion of partners
    interested in Armenia's future. In this regard, I would like to mention
    that we have followed up on the recommendations of the Parliamentary
    Assembly and other international partners regarding the organization
    of free and fair elections: they are being meticulously considered and
    acted upon by a task force created specifically for the improvement
    of the electoral process. In the next few days, we will hold broad
    public discussions with the participation of all stakeholders and
    the international community which will focus on the legal amendments
    proposed under the corresponding recommendations.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    We face a number of serious challenges such as unemployment, poverty,
    and corruption, and our government is implementing comprehensive
    programs to address them.

    The rule of law is another priority. Equality before the law is a
    condition sine qua non for our economic and political advancement. The
    human being, human dignity, fundamental rights, and freedoms are
    viewed as the ultimate objectives. The state in its turn is restricted
    by the fundamental human and civil rights and freedoms as immediate
    laws. These provisions which are also enshrined in our Constitution
    preset the behavior of individuals and state authorities in our
    efforts to strengthen the rule of law and civil society.

    I am confident that constitution of virtually any democratic state
    this way or another encompasses the idea of the rule of law. However
    what matters the most is its practical implementation so that the
    authority limited by the law becomes a rule of life. Particularly for
    young democracies, it requires a consistent and structured effort. It
    requires an independent judiciary and impartial administration of
    justice. In this context, I believe that the Conference on the Rule of
    Law and the Scope of Discretion of Powers held this July in Yerevan
    under the auspices of the Armenian Chairmanship in the Council of
    Europe generated strong interest and continued the process initiated
    by the UK Chairmanship.

    Our country has embarked on a new stage of systemic reforms in these
    areas. Long-term programs are being implemented. They are all centered
    on the human being, as well as on the safeguards for the protection
    of human rights and freedoms and the creation of an environment of
    tolerance, pluralism, non-discrimination, justice, and mutual trust
    in the country.

    Consolidation of democracy and respect for human rights are our
    other priorities, connected directly with the previous one - the
    rule of law. Notable achievements in this field include a number of
    major amendments to the Judicial Code, which enhance the transparency
    and fairness of the procedure for the selection of judges. We remain
    focused on legal aspects of the appointment of judges with a view of
    ensuring the complete independence of judges.

    The penitentiary institutions are being modernized, and a
    probation service will be formed. We have developed and started the
    implementation of the Armenia 2012-2016 Strategic Program of Legal
    and Judicial Reforms, which, I am sure, will produce a judicial
    and legal system consistent with the standards of a democratic legal
    state. In this context, I attach great importance to the fully-fledged
    implementation of the 2012-2014 Armenia-Council of Europe Action Plan,
    which contains a number of important initiatives in this field.

    We have registered some success, but we will not stop there. I have
    initiated a process of amending the Constitution of the Republic
    of Armenia with a view of further strengthening the constitutional
    safeguards for the rule of law and respect for human rights and
    freedoms, achievement of an appropriate balance of powers, and
    enhancement of the efficiency of public administration. We would be
    grateful if the Council of Europe supports this process, among others,
    through the Venice Commission.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    The European Union is one of Armenia's most vital partners. Wide-scale
    reforms in the areas of human rights, democracy, and the rule of
    law make up the core of the Armenia-EU relationship. The Eastern
    Partnership Instrument created under the EU Eastern Partnership
    program in cooperation with the Council of Europe is an important
    initiative covering a variety of activities in the participating
    states related to elections, judicial reform, good governance, fight
    against corruption and cyber-crime.

    There has recently been much talk about the civilizational choice of
    the countries-members of the Eastern Partnership initiative. We have
    always stated that we don't believe it is right to view the issue in
    that dimension. Armenia aims to continue its comprehensive, mutually
    beneficial partnership with the EU. From the outset of the Eastern
    Partnership initiative and even before, we have stated and continue to
    state that we aspire to have the closest possible and widest possible
    relations with the EU, and to be close to the EU. This policy will
    not be terminated.

    As is known, Armenia has a close allied relationship with Russia.

    Armenia is not building new relationships at the expense of the
    relationship with her strategic ally; in the same vein, we will
    not build relationships with other partner, which might be aimed
    against our other partners. We will continue to develop in parallel
    relationships and interests with our key partners.

    Honorable Members of the Assembly,

    Peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue under the aegis
    of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship has been and will remain
    our priority until we achieve a comprehensive settlement. We value
    the efforts of all those who support regional stability, but we
    also know that we must rely primarily on our own power to deter the
    opponent against possible negative developments and to maintain peace,
    especially as the leader of our neighboring state continues to make
    public statements threatening with war, declaring the Armenians his
    "enemy number one", boasting about disproportionate increases in
    military spending, and the buildup of arms.

    Nonetheless, I hope that the people of Azerbaijan or their significant
    part actually do not share this mindset. Unfortunately, those in
    Azerbaijan who are trying to bring up candid memories of the past,
    which was once shared with the Armenian people, are being publicly
    admonished, threatened "to have their ears cut," and expelled from
    the country. Hence, the actual mood of the people of Azerbaijan is
    not articulated and whatever is voiced is demanded by the propaganda
    machine. It results in the ineffectiveness of any attempt to implement
    confidence-building measures.

    I am confident that our peoples will have a better future than the
    one contemplated by some leaders who preach hatred and war. As I have
    already stated publicly on other occasions, I do not consider the
    people of Azerbaijan to be the enemy of the Armenian people. We are
    capable of respectfully resolving our disagreements and peacefully
    co-existing as neighbors.

    Two days ago, my people mourned demise of Sos Sargsyan, a brilliant
    actor, the People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia. The master's
    last public statement was his open letter to the intellectuals of
    Azerbaijan, which was nothing but an appeal for peace, justice, and
    reason: "Are you really going to unleash a war? My dear neighbors! It
    will bring nothing except innocent victims. Why? It is very simple:
    Karabakh is a territory for you, but a Sacred Fatherland for us,"
    wrote the great intellectual. Indeed, we regularly appeal for sobriety
    and firmly claim that zealous incitement of xenophobia, unyielding
    threats to use force and the arms race will not do any good. Peace and
    cooperation are the only feasible means of building a prosperous future
    for the peoples of the region. It is an axiom that requires no proof.

    The international experience proves that democratic societies are
    best placed to resolve conflicts peacefully. In the last two decades,
    democratic institutions have been built and continuously developed in
    Nagorno Karabakh. According to respectable international organizations
    such as the Freedom House, the level of democracy in Nagorno Karabakh
    is noticeably higher than in some of its neighbors.

    Karabakh has been and will remain a part of Europe. Its people are
    a part of the European family, regardless of Karabakh's political
    status. Therefore, I believe that the Council of Europe could,
    regardless of Karabakh's status, initiate direct contacts with Karabakh
    within the framework of its pertinent functions, especially since
    the Council of Europe has similar experiences with respect to other
    conflict zones.

    Dear Friends;

    As Armenians, we have been destined to become advocates of the
    fight against genocides. Genocide is not only a heinous crime against
    humanity but also a striking manifestation of fascism and intolerance,
    as well as a grave encroachment upon the right to life. Indeed,
    peoples that have survived such tragedies have a distinct mission
    of preventing their reoccurrence. The best way to prevent atrocious
    crimes against the mankind is to discuss those terrible pages of
    history and to assess the past in the light of universal values.

    Fighting against the preconditions with nourish such heinous crimes
    is, in my opinion, is equally important.

    Armenia has been taking practical steps to mobilize efforts of the
    international community for the prevention of genocides and combatting
    their root causes. For years, Armenia has been initiating various
    resolutions on genocide prevention in different international fora.

    Time and over, we have assisted the UN Human Rights Council in
    adopting resolutions on the prevention of genocides. The aim is to
    keep the international community focused on the Convention on the
    Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and to remind of
    the commitments of the states to eliminate crimes against humanity.

    Armenia has declared the fight against intolerance and propaganda
    inciting discrimination and hatred as priorities throughout the term
    of the Armenian Chairmanship in the Committee of Ministers of the
    Council of Europe. We consider it shameful that such practices still
    exist in the modern era, as well as the fact that in some countries
    they are being encouraged at a state level. We have to be resolute
    to eradicate such practices in every corner of the world.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our societies are undergoing major transformations and facing numerous
    challenges. What are our values in the 21st century? Which values
    prevail today? Why do extremist political currents and practices gain
    momentum? Why is social cohesion weakening? Why was the Council of
    Europe compelled to initiate the youth campaign against hate speech
    online? These and other questions are not easy to answer briefly.

    These practices are reprehensible. In the era of modern information
    technology, such practices can spread momentarily among millions of
    people. Hence, swift and adequate responses are needed. It is our
    duty to strengthen bridges between nations, our citizens, societies,
    cultures, and religions, so that the future generations inherit a
    much more peaceful and safer planet.

    These days, we remain focused on Syria. We are deeply concerned
    with everything which is happening there, causing death of innocent
    civilians. Syria is home to several thousand Armenians who constitute
    an integral part of the Syrian society, and Armenia unequivocally
    welcomes the Russian-American understanding on the peaceful resolution
    of the conflict in Syria as well as the UN Security Council resolution
    adopted a few days ago.

    We simply must unite our efforts for the future. We need especially
    to engage the younger generations in the building of our common future.

    They are so young, courageous, and full of energy: our societies will
    have a brighter future if we give them right ideas and educate them by
    true values enriched by freedom and democracy and free from prejudice.

    As a unique Organization which defines and spreads over standards of
    human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, the Council of Europe
    has a crucial mission in this process, and its role in accomplishing
    our common objectives must be strengthened further.

    Thank you.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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