Tigran Sargsyan welcomed EC President of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Herwig van Staa

YEREVAN, JUNE 18, ARMENPRESS: The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan received the President of Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Herwig van Staa, who is in Armenia to attend the conference on Participatory Democracy at Local Level due this June 19 under the Armenian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

“Having assumed the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, we will do our best to foster successful and effective developments during the 6 month-long tenure”, - the Prime Minister said in his greeting remarks, as Armenpress was reported by the Department for Mass Media and Public Relations of the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

Herwig van Staa thanked the Armenian authorities for the warm welcome, as well as for hosting the international conference, which testifies Armenia’s enhanced focus on developing the cooperation with the Council of Europe. He praised our country’s efforts towards promoting the local self-government in Armenia and implementing the 2012-2014 Armenia - CoE Action Plan.

The parties went on to exchange views on the development of local democracy and discussed the local government efficiency-related issues. Stressing that Armenia is pushing ahead with reform in this area, Tigran Sargsyan made a point of mastering the EU-member countries’ best practices in this field.

The Head of the Government said local democracy is high on Armenia’s chairmanship agenda and a number of events will be held to that effect.

In conclusion, Herwig van Staa told the Premier his impressions of the visits paid to two emblematic sites – the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Armenian Genocide Museum.