Public hearings on human rights are of great importance for the promotion and strengthening of a democratic culture in the country, said on Friday the head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski.

His remarks came at a hearing organized by the Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia with the support of the standing parliamentary committee for the protection of human rights and public affairs.

According to him, human rights issues are among the top priorities on the Armenia-EU cooperation agenda.

The relations between Armenia and the EU are based on common values, of which human rights are an important component, he said.

According to him, this discussion also has practical value, since next week EU will hold an annual discussion on the dialogue on human rights issues with Armenian colleagues in Brussels.

Last year's events in Armenia are also the basis for discussions on human rights issues, creating opportunities to consider the issue from a new point of view, he said adding that this does not mean that problems have disappeared, because even in the most democratic countries people are not perfect.