Pashinyan and CoE head discuss expanding democracy programmes

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, has met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a visit to Armenia.

Berset started his two-day visit on Wednesday, as part of which he has had several high-profile meetings.

According to the Armenian readout, during their meeting, Pashinyan ‘highly appreciated the cooperation’ with the Council of Europe and thanked it for its ‘continuous support for’ the implementation of democratic reforms in Armenia.

The Council of Europe provides €19 million through their 2023-2026 Action Plan for Armenia, in addition to which in April 2024 they allocated a new €2.8 million response package, months after over 100,000 fled their homes after Azerbaijan took over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The last bus out of Nagorno-Karabakh

With the exodus of practically the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh now complete, many of those forced to start new lives from scratch reflect on what — and who — they have left behind. On the road to Goris on 29 September, cars with bundles tied to their roofs and trucks full of personal possessions filled the road. Goris, a town in southern Armenia, was the place where those who fled Nagorno-Karabakh in fear arrived to register and find temporary shelter. The vehicles, with mattres

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In turn, Berset, ‘reaffirmed’ their readiness to continue close cooperation and support. Additionally, he congratulated Pashinyan for hosting the European Community Summit and the UN’s 2026 biodiversity summit, calling it evidence of Armenia’s ‘growing international prestige’.

They also exchanged views on ‘regional developments and ensuring stability’.

Ahead of the visit, the Council of Europe suggested that Berset’s discussions with the Armenian side would focus on how the Council of Europe ‘can contribute to strengthening the region’s role in Europe’s emerging democratic security architecture’ as Armenia was set to host the 8th Summit of the European Political Community.

The Council’s statement also noted that Berset’s visit ‘comes at a critical time for the South Caucasus’ and by his visit, the Secretary General ‘will reiterate the Council of Europe’s support for the swift signature of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan’.

In addition to discussing the peace process, during his meeting with Berset, Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan ‘drew [Berset’s] attention’ to the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged it has 23 Armenian prisoners in its custody, including former Nagorno-Karabakh state officials. Earlier in March, Armenia claimed Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan had been subjected to torture, citing evidence observed in photos published by Azerbaijan.

Armenia expresses concern over the ‘torture’ of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan

The marks of alleged torture were observed in photos of the Armenian prisoners published by Azerbaijan.

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During his trip, Berset also visited the Armenian Genocide memorial in Yerevan, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan.

The Secretary General is set to meet President Vahagn Khachaturyan, and other officials, as well as deliver a public lecture and meet students at Yerevan State University.

Hungary blocking non-lethal military aid to Armenia over lack of support to Azerbaijan

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó gave his statement during the Yerevan Dialogue Forum.

OC MediaArshaluys Barseghyan