The Swiss Foreign Minister addressed the consolidation of the Council of Europe’s human rights protection system. The Polish representative spoke about strengthening the Council of Europe’s action to promote democracy. The representative of Austria, who will assume the EU presidency in January, addressed the strengthening of cooperation between the Council of Europe, the European Union and the OSCE.

Armenia’s Foreign Minister had been invited to speak on the theme of Building a More Humane Europe. The Minister began by saying, “The values we call European – democracy, human rights, rule of law – these are values which are upheld by all current and aspiring members of the European community for the obvious reason that we are convinced that these values, if promoted, can provide the framework for a dignified, humane existence for all.

“This is what we have said for half a century. What the heads of state and government said in May, however, is that these values must be not pronounced but implemented, not adopted but applied, in order for European values to find a home throughout Europe.

“This is a huge expectation of the Council, but this expectation is justified because the Council of Europe has already made major contributions towards these goals.

“But just by looking at today’s Europe, we see that the job is half-done. If in the 21st century, we need conventions to legally outlaw the morally repugnant and intolerable acts of terrorism and trafficking, that means that in the 20th century, we didn’t do enough to break boundaries and make communities,” said Minister Oskanian.

The Minister also addressed the specific goals which the Committee of Ministers had identified: strengthening the long-term security of Europeans, developing a strategy for social cohesion, embarking on a campaign to combat violence against women and promote the protection of children, and developing intercultural dialogue.

Minister Oskanian also focused on two major Council of Europe commitments which are currently at the center of Armenia’s agenda, and at the center of the Council of Europe’s attention.

The first, the Minister said, is the Constitutional referendum which will be held later this month. The Minister explained that the proposed Constitutional reforms, which enjoy the Council of Europe’s endorsement, “modify the Constitution’s provisions regarding human rights and at the same time create the necessary mechanisms to protect those rights, to promote the democratic processes which are based on those rights, and to reinforce the democratic institutions which will protect those rights.”

The Minister further explained that the other Council of Europe commitment – to arrive at a peaceful resolution of the NK conflict – is also heading in a positive direction. He said, without further calls to military action, and without straying from the commitments and agreements that have already been reached, there is hope that more progress can be made in this positive environment.

In the framework of the Ministerial Council, Minister Oskanian held several meetings with the leadership of the Council of Europe. He spoke with Secretary General Terry Davis, and met with Rene Van Der Linden, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as Ambassador Roland Wegener, who heads the Council of Europe Monitoring Group for Armenia. All expressed the hope that the Constitutional reforms package will pass and that Armenia will move on to the next plane of engagement and membership.

The Minister also met with the State Secretary of Hungary, Andreas Barsony, and discussed bilateral issues and cooperation within European structures. Minister Oskanian also referred to the ongoing trial of the Azerbaijani soldier charged with the murder of an Armenian at a NATO Training program last year.