The Council of Europe has something to do in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This organization, which is zealous for human rights protection and democratic development, does not pay any attention to the issue of support to NGOs operating in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. This is what Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated in his speech at the PACE.

According to him, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is not taking any action for the strengthening of democratic institutions and the functioning of civil society in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

“The explanation for this is that there are discrepancies and misreading regarding the status of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, according to which Nagorno-Karabakh is not internationally recognized as a state, but the actions of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe don’t regard the status of the state. Even if Nagorno-Karabakh is still not recognized as an independent state, isn’t there an international debate over the fact that the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh are human beings? Does a document prevail over real people for the Council of Europe, which is one of the frontrunners in human rights protection?

From this high podium, I would like to call on all the organizations of the Council of Europe and Europe dealing with human rights protection, protection of freedom of speech and the functioning of democratic institutions to support the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to improve their laws and institutions and strengthen human rights protection, rule of law and an independent judiciary. This will benefit citizens, human beings, and human beings are worth more than any document and group interest. I believe that the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be guided by these very values,” Pashinyan emphasized.