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ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIVE RAISED ISSUE OF MISSING PEOPLE AT PACE SESSION
12:46, 4 October, 2013
STRASBOURG, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: At the autumn session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the member of
the Armenian delegation Naira Zohrabyan touched upon the issue
of the missing people lost in the result of the armed conflicts,
highlighting the necessity to cooperate with the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic's authorities in this issue. As reported by Armenpress,
Naira Zohrabyan stated in particular:
"We are discussing quite a delicate issue concerning the families
of thousands of people. Due to the armed conflicts there are about
20,000 missing people in Europe today and this problem continues to
remain on the agenda of a number of member states of the Council of
Europe. One thing is certain - the families of the missing people
have the right to be informed about the destiny of their relatives.
In the issue of discovering the missing people quite important is the
cooperation and information exchange with the de facto authorities
as well. In fact this is a very urgent issue and we should develop
flexible mechanisms and do our best to find the missing people".
The PACE session was launched on September 30. On October 2 the
President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made an extensive
and comprehensive speech, which is as follows:
"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".
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/735425/armenian-representative-raised-issue-of-missing-people-at-pace-session.html
12:46, 4 October, 2013
STRASBOURG, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: At the autumn session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe the member of
the Armenian delegation Naira Zohrabyan touched upon the issue
of the missing people lost in the result of the armed conflicts,
highlighting the necessity to cooperate with the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic's authorities in this issue. As reported by Armenpress,
Naira Zohrabyan stated in particular:
"We are discussing quite a delicate issue concerning the families
of thousands of people. Due to the armed conflicts there are about
20,000 missing people in Europe today and this problem continues to
remain on the agenda of a number of member states of the Council of
Europe. One thing is certain - the families of the missing people
have the right to be informed about the destiny of their relatives.
In the issue of discovering the missing people quite important is the
cooperation and information exchange with the de facto authorities
as well. In fact this is a very urgent issue and we should develop
flexible mechanisms and do our best to find the missing people".
The PACE session was launched on September 30. On October 2 the
President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made an extensive
and comprehensive speech, which is as follows:
"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".
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/735425/armenian-representative-raised-issue-of-missing-people-at-pace-session.html