Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Helsinki on a working visit, on Friday attended and addressed the 129th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), and which was devoted also to the 70th anniversary of this organization.

In his address, Mnatsakanyan congratulated everyone on the 70th anniversary of CoE, and noted as follows, in particular: “Against the background of multiple challenges to our collective commitments, European unity is in compelling demand. Complacency about values of democracy and human rights, and tolerance to their failures are a cause of collective amnesia. We forget that democracy, human rights and the rule of law have been a result of arduous work of the past 70 years. We need to be reminded about the catastrophic alternatives to a democratic society in Europe. Common democratic European space cannot be taken for granted. Both our national and our collective European institutions need consistent reinforcement.”

Also, the FM of Armenia extended his congratulations to Finland for an effective Presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers, and wished success to France in its future initiatives.

At the end of the session, the aforementioned presidency was transferred from Finland to France.

On the previous day, the Armenian FM participated in the solemn events devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Council of