YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Strasbourg in the evening of January 23 to participate in the PACE January session, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

The President’s program launched with the meeting with newly elected President of Pace Michele Nicoletti. Before the meeting the President left a note in the PACE Golden Book.

“Every time I feel great honor and responsibility being in the Council of Europe, in this unique smithy of human rights. A structure under which the values that aim at ensuring the humanity’s free, dignified and prosperous life, are being promoted. My visit on the eve of the 17th anniversary of Armenia’s membership to the Council of Europe is another chance to affirm Armenia’s commitment to these values. Believing in the future of our structure, we believe that the Council of Europe and the PACE, facing key challenges in the region and outside it, should talk with the same language for the sake of the unity and reputation of our Organization”, the President wrote in the Golden Book.

Thereafter, the President met with CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. Before that Serzh Sargsyan attended the signing ceremony of several CoE conventions. The documents were signed by CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian. These documents come to supplement nearly eight dozen international agreements signed by Armenia within the CoE.

In particular, the sides signed the CoE Convention on ‘Joint Cinematography Production’ (Revised), Convention on ‘Mutual administrative assistance on tax issues’ (changed by 2010 protocol), Convention on the ‘Common approach on safety, security and services issues during football matches and other sports events’, the additionl protocol attached to the CoE Convention on the ‘Prevention of Terrorism’ and the Convention on ‘Combating trafficking in human organs’.

The President also left a note in the CoE Golden Book.

“For me it’s really a great honor to come back to this cradle of contemporary democracy in our continent that has a reputation of the leader of human rights. We highly appreciate our expanding partnership and believe that the constantly strengthening democracy in Armenia is the manifestation of these close relations.

Armenia reaffirms its unconditional dedication to these values as we carry out a joint work for the sake of our common vision of democratic and peaceful Europe”, the President wrote.

The Armenian President and the CoE Secretary General summed up the meeting results with statements for the media.