Council of Europe official met with Interior Minister and Armenia`s  Ombudsman

ArmInfo. The delegation led by Lilia Gretarsdottir, the Head of the Department for the Implementation of Human Rights, Justice and Legal Cooperation of the  Council of Europe, held meetings at the Interior Ministry of Armenia  and the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia.

As reported by the press service of the Interior Ministry of Armenia,  during a meeting with Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan, Lilia  Gretarsdottir discussed the ongoing reforms in the Ministry of  Interior. She specifically highlighted the innovations in the Police  and the Migration and Citizenship Service and highly appreciated the  effective and efficient work with refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh.   Sargsyan, in turn, expressed gratitude for the active cooperation  with the Council of Europe, noting that it covers almost all areas  within the mandate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Speaking about the reforms taking place in the Ministry, the Minister  particularly highlighted the support provided by the Council of  Europe in the establishment of the Police Guard. She added that as a  result of the joint efforts of the Council of Europe, the Parliament  of Armenia and civil society, the Law on the Police Guard was adopted  in its entirety.  The discussion also touched on the challenges of  establishing and modernizing a call center at the Migration and  Citizenship Service. The primary goal of the center is to deliver  high-quality services that are citizen-focused.

During the meeting, the discussion focused on the continuous efforts  to protect the rights and guarantees of persons in places of  detention, and to enhance the capacity of police officers,  investigators and medical professionals. The importance of training  for effective job performance, along with the implementation of  standards for the use of force was emphasized. Additionally, the  meeting addressed combating  human trafficking  and other matters on  the agenda.

 Meanwhile, the Ombudsman's Office reported that Armenia's Human  Rights Defender  Anahit Manasyan, at a meeting with Lilia  Gretarsdottir, highlighted the stable and constructive cooperation  between the Human Rights Defender's Institute and the Council of  Europe. She emphasized the role of CoE programs in developing various  aspects of human rights protection in Armenia. Manasyan also  discussed the important areas of focus for the Human Rights  Defender's work. It is noted that the meeting addressed issues  related to the protection of the rights of military personnel,  forcibly displaced people, people with disabilities and other  vulnerable groups, as well as challenges in the field of human rights  protection.