YEREVAN. – President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Liliane Maury Pasquier, on Thursday participated in the opening ceremony for Europe Square at Northern Avenue in downtown Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

The event also brought together National Assembly (NA) Vice President Alen Simonyan, Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, chairman Ruben Rubinyan of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, and members of the Yerevan Council of Elders.

In his remarks at the event, the parliament deputy speaker noted that the naming and official opening of European Square was devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, and which is marked this year.

“During the past 28 years after independence, Armenia, being devoted to pan-European values, continues to build its cooperation in the European direction,” Simonyan added, in particular.

The PACE President, for her part, stressed that Europe was not a mere geographical concept, but a phenomenon that has united around it people speaking in different languages, but having the same ideas.

Pasquier noted, above all, that Europe Square recalls that Europe is not an abstract concept, but a system that includes everyone’s rights and liberties.

Subsequently, the mayor of Yerevan presented the Europe Square certificate to the PACE President and announced the opening of this square.