YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Deputy PM and Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorgyan on Wednesday met with Silvia Zehe, Head of Operations (HoO) at the Council of Europe (CoE) Office in Armenia, on the occasion of the completion of her mission in the country.

The Deputy PM assessed the cooperation with the Office as effective, and he wished Zehe success in her future endeavors. Also, he expressed confidence that the collaboration with the new HoO will continue with the same effectiveness, Territorial Administration Ministry Public Relations Department informs.    

Subsequently, the interlocutors discussed the reforms in the domain of local self-governance.

Gevorgyan noted that the strengthening of local democracy and the raising of the effectiveness of local self-governance will be at the focus during Armenia’s CoE chairmanship in 2013.

Reflecting on the document entitled “Strategic Approaches for the Future Development and Decentralization of the Local Self-Governance System in Armenia,” which is prepared with assistance by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Armen Gevorgyan noted that the majority of these approaches are consistent with the provisions of Armenia’s cooperation program with the Council of Europe.