YEREVAN. – President Alen Simonyan of the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA), who is in Strasbourg, France, on a working visit, on Thursday met with the Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

He lauded the key role of the Council of Europe and PACE and the effective continuity of the activities as a pillar of democratic security, a guarantor of human rights and rule of law, a platform of real versatility and effective dialogue, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am..

The sides discussed the role of PACE in strengthening democracy in Armenia, particularly issues regarding the work of the Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee.

The RA NA President documented that after the 44-day war there are numerous unsolved problems, and the most urgent one is the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other held persons.

He noted that this attempt of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict by force contradicts the commitment of Azerbaijan’s membership to the CoE on regulating the conflict exclusively in a peaceful way.

In the RA NA President’s opinion, PACE should pursue its resolution (Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan/Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, September 27, 2021) on humanitarian consequences of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which related to the problems of Armenian prisoners of war, the humanitarian access in Artsakh, the preservation of Armenian spiritual historical-cultural heritage, the measures aimed at the stability of the situation on the borders and numerous other urgent issues.

He once again documented the commitment of Armenia to the establishment of peace and making real efforts in that direction, which cannot be said about the Azerbaijani authorities, which until now pursue anti-Armenian and bellicose policy against Armenia.