Armenian parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan met with PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon on the sidelines of European Conference of Speakers of Parliament held under the auspices of PACE.

At Strasbourg-hosted meeting, Mr. Mignon hailed the progress of democratic reforms in Armenia, as well as the positive political atmosphere in the country.

Dwelling on Karabakh conflict, PACE president noted the issue should be resolved in OSCE Minsk Group framework through peaceful negotiations.

As he noted, PACE subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh has exhausted itself, having failed to justify its formation.

Commenting on the extradition of Azeri axe-killer Ramil Safarov, Mr. Mignon once again condemned his release and heroization, noting that Safarov case will be debated at the next PACE sitting.

Mr. Abrahamyan, in turn, thanked the PACE head for his position, urging the international community to struggle against xenophobia.

Тhe parliament speaker hailed Mr. Mignon’s sensible stance on Karabakh subcommittee, noting that an interim subcommittee would have become a ground for new accusations by the conflicting sides, rather than help approximate their positions.

In conclusion, Mr. Abrahamyan invited PACE President for an official visit to Armenia.