Incoming CoE Chairman, Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian to EuroFora on E-Democracy + Youth

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/-  <<"E" - Democracy>>  is a possible development which "may be" added, "later"-on, to forthcoming efforts to revitalize links between Citizens and Political Organizations, replied in substance the incoming CoE's Chairman, Armenian Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandian, to a relevant question raised by "EuroFora", (during which we refered also to a recent landmark CoE Conference on the "Future of Democracy", which had taken place at Yerevan, after Stockholm and Madrid, as well as Nicosia, Cyprus, etc).

He was speaking just after his meeting with CoE's Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland, this afternoon in Strasbourg, at the eve of the 123th PanEuropean Session of CoE's Committee of Ministers, tomorrow Thursday, when Armenia is due to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law for the period of May to November 2013.

- In particular, Yes, of course, New Communication Technologies, as Internet, etc., and recent developments concerning various relevant popular movements, particularly involving Young People at several European and other Countries, etc. (f.ex. Germany, Sweden, Italy, Greece, France, etc), are certainly important factors to be taken into account, added afterwards on this same point the incoming CoE's new Chairman in reply to another "EuroFora"s question.

Thus, it's f.ex. "the role of Youth in Education for Democratic Citizenship and Participation", which would be at the focus of a PanEuropean "Youth policy Forum" due to be organized on Autumn at Yerevan, as part of a series of events which start with an important CoE Parliamentary Assembly's Standing Committee's session there at the End of May.

+ Speaking earlier to Journalists at the CoE, including "EuroFora", Minister  Nalbandian stressed that, after "12 years of Membership", the forthcoming Semester was "a good opportunity", but "also a Challenge and a  Responsibility", for "Armenia's 1st time" chairmanship,  to "lead COE's Member States' efforts on Democratic Developments in Europe". "This is also a Challenge, because all of us, we are witnessing some Problems, which could become Difficulties in the way of Consolidation of our common Values", (on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law), regarding which, "Responsibility, and Success for the CoE, depends not only from the efforts of each and every Member country, but also of the Leadership of the Organisatiion's  Collective activities, all over Europe"; as he pointed out.

- For that purpose, we shall concentrate on CoE's Reform process" which has been "initiated by the S.G.", and "organise several Events on CoE's different domains of activiities", including, f.ex., certain "PanEuropean "Conferences on CoE's Parliamentarian dimension", as well as on "Constitutional Courts", "Youth Policy", "Culture", "Education", etc., and "we shall focus also on the fight against Discrimination, Xenophobia, Racism, Hate Speach, etc.", as well as on "InterCultural Dialogue", etc, he added, among others.

- It's in this way that "we expect to contribute for a more Effective and important Role of the CoE in the  (overall) European Architecture", the incoming CoE's chairman, Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian concluded.

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The Topical relevance of such issues was further highlighted, later Today, at the latest Public "Dialogue",  traditionaly co-organized by the CoE and Strasbourg's City, with Key Speaker the President of "Civic Service Agency", former Minister in France, Martin Hirsch, welcomed by CoE's deputy Secretary General Gabriela Battaini-Dragoni :

- "Today's Crisis, in Europe and the whole World, is not only Economic, but it's also a Democratic and Social Crisis of moral a.o. Values", observed Hirsch in substance, expressing a wide-spread feeling inside the PanEuropean CoE too, while questioned by the new President of Strasbourg's Press Club, our experienced collegue Journalist and great Reporter at "France TV",  Francoise Schöller.

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