PACE president: Armenia achieved ‘remarkable progress’ along the path of democratic reform after joining CoE
“A week ago, while on an official visit to Armenia, I had the great honour of participating in the inauguration of Europe Square in the capital, Yerevan. As I was getting ready for the ceremony, I asked myself the following question: what does Europe mean for each and every one of us? There are, of course, many ways to answer this question. Because, as well as being a geographical and historical concept, has many facets,” President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Liliane Maury Pasquier said in her opening speech at the PACE Spring Session on Monday.
She highlighted the European architecture, often referred to the notion of a Europe of concentric circles, with the largest circle being the Council of Europe, followed by the circles of the European Union, the Schengen area and the euro zone.
“With its 47 member states, the Council of Europe forms the outer ring in this arrangement, and for that reason we often refer to it as "the Common European Home". This common home provides a place to live for 830 million people and is governed by a common legal framework that protects the individual against arbitrary decisions and authoritarianism and defines our rights and fundamental freedoms.
“Our common home, our Europe, will soon be 70 years old,” the PACE president said.
Reflecting on the expected speeches of the heads of government of Armenia and Georgia at PACE this week, Pasquier said the two CoE member states that joined the organisation only 20 years ago, yet have made remarkable progress along the path of democratic reform.
“Their speeches to the Parliamentary Assembly are not only an opportunity to forge closer co-operation. They are also an opportunity for all of us to remember our own obligations to support our democratic institutions and to stand up for our rights and fundamental freedoms in our countries. Because democracy and human rights are always a work in progress, requiring a common and sustained commitment from each and every one of us. In this way, we can - all of us together – help to expand the reach of our common European home, which, as I mentioned at the beginning of my speech, will celebrate its 70th anniversary in one month's time,” she concluded.
The PACE Spring Session kicked off on April 8 in Strasbourg and is set to run till April 12. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan is expected to address the session on 11 April.