The 122nd regular session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) was convened in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday, during which UK transferred CoE chairmanship to Albania.   

The discussants primarily examined the CoE policy toward the neighboring regions, as well as human rights, democracy, and CoE reforms.    

Armen Papikyan, who is Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, also addressed the session and expressed a concern over the growing cases of xenophobia—specifically the propaganda of hatred—in some CoE-member countries, and called upon the Council of Europe and its member states to take consistent steps toward excluding and condemning such manifestations.   

To note, the 123rd session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will take place on May 16, 2013, during which Armenia will assume the Committee chairmanship.