AGO Monitoring Group visits Armenia, Azerbaijan

Head of the Committee of Ministers' Monitoring Group (GT-SUIVI.AGO) and Permanent Representative of Germany to the Council of Europe Ambassador Roland Wegener and Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian held a joint press conference yesterday, November 15. "I highly appreciate the Armenian authorities' readiness to honor the commitments undertaken to the Council of Europe," Mr Wegener said. Introducing amendments to the country's Constitution and Electoral Code are still on the agenda.

As for the statements by official Baku concerning the resolution of the Karabakh conflict by military means, the head of the GT-SUIVI.AGO said this way was impossible even in case the peaceful resolution of the problem was delayed.

On November 18, the GT-SUIVI.AGO is arriving in Baku. Members of the delegation are expected to familiarize themselves with the process of honoring commitments to the Council of Europe by Azerbaijan, the situation with human rights and freedoms, and the preparation for municipal elections. Commenting of the visit of the GT-SUIVI.AGO, human rights activist Murad Sadaddinov said: "The Committee of Ministers is the only structure in the Council of Europe decisions of which are obligatory for all Council of Europe member states."