By invitation of Hay Dat (the Armenian Cause) the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Human Rights Defender Ruben Melikyan on June 26 visited Brussels, where he had a number of meetings with the MPs and the staff of the European Council, as well as with the Flemish Ombudsman Bart Vickers (on June 28), the French-speaking community, and the ombudsman of Wallonia Marc Bertran ( June 29 ) .
During, the meeting with ombudsmen who represent the main regions and linguistic communities Melikyan noted that the institution of the Ombudsman is able to ensure fundamental human rights, prevent of their violations, and in general, is endowed with a wide variety of tools and great potential for balancing public values, which can only be implemented to the fullest in a close cooperation with civil society institutions.
The Ombudsman of Artsakh presented in a nutshell to the Belgian partners how the Karabakh institution of Ombudsman has been realized, its legal status, priorities , and issues it faces.
The Flemish Ombudsman, presented the experience of his organization, especially the importance of the Ombudsman's mediation and conciliation functions, as well as the “hot line” system through which the citizens get informed about the public authorities and administrative procedures.
At the end of the meeting, the ombudsman of Artsakh emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining contacts between the partners for exchanging and localizing positive experience. Melikyan specifically noted that he will instruct his staff to examine the Flemish model of "hot line" and assess the possibility of its implementation in Artsakh.