“I reaffirm the unconditional loyalty of the RA authorities to the values of the Council of Europe, which are also fixed in the plan of actions of the RA government” in the 2023-2026 action plan of the CE for Armenia. RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan announced during the program launch ceremony (a ceremony dedicated to the official launch of the action plan of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Council of Europe/Armenia 2023- 2026 took place at the RA Foreign Ministry).
CE Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge was also present at the ceremony. Ararat Mirzoyan assured. “The action plan is a key tool in the ambitious reform agenda of the RA government aimed at the further development of democratic institutions per European standards, the establishment of an independent judicial system, and the strengthening of the anti-corruption institution. The positive feedback from stakeholders on the previous program is promising and compelling to set a higher bar for implementing this action plan.”
Bjørn Berge assured that this is another step in the positive path RA and CE embarked on. “Today, Europe is in a deep crisis; Russia’s ongoing illegal war against Ukraine is causing terrible suffering. Aggressive nationalism is a high threat to the values the CE protects. We need to do more to strengthen democracy in Europe, so we must focus our response on the most important components of democracy. This program we are launching is a shining example of what needs to be done in practice and across Europe.”
The Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe highly appreciated the cooperation between Armenia and the Council of Europe and assured that the action plan starting today is aimed at helping Armenia to overcome the existing problems. He also noted that there are some thematic overlaps with the previous program. On this occasion, he clarified. “This proves a consistent and continuous approach to our joint work. There are also new areas, including freedom of speech, personal data protection, environmental protection, social justice, good governance, local government reform, the fight against cybercrime, and more. Overall, the action plan aims to improve life for the people of this wonderful country.”
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