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On November 10, the RA NA President Ara Babloyan received the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Gudrun Mosler-Törnström.

The RA NA President thanked the Congress President for the cooperation of the Council of Europe with Armenia and the activities promoting the strengthening of democracy in our country.

In Ara Babloyan’s word, Armenia highlights the cooperation with all structures of the Council of Europe which is aimed at the fulfillment of our assumed obligations and the implementation of the profound reforms in the country.

The RA NA President has noted that in the local democracy the role of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2015-2018, by which great support is shown to the development of the capacities of the Communities Association of Armenia and the improvement of the self-government legal and institutional bases.

Ara Babloyan documented that during the last one year numerous elections of the local self-government were held which had been democratic and competitive, without serious recorded problems: the fight of the ideas and programmes had been in their basis.

Touching upon the transition from the semi-presidential system of the government into parliamentary one in Armenia, the RA NA President has noted that it gives an opportunity to the local self-government to have bigger role in the ongoing processes in the country.

Gudrun Mosler-Törnström thanked Ara Babloyan for the reception and highlighted her visit in terms of taking part in the event dedicated to the 20^th anniversary of the Communities Association of Armenia and getting acquainted with the situation on the spot. Mrs Mosler-Törnström highly assessed the cooperation of the Council of Europe with Armenia, noting that all the levels of the power should take part in the establishment of democracy.

The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has noted that observing the reforms going on in Armenia, she is aware of the problems and is glad that there is serious attitude to the cooperation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and its recommendations.

At the end of the meeting the interlocutors touched upon the issues relating to the processes following the constitutional reforms in Armenia, the enlargement of the communities and the increase of the liabilities of the local self-government bodies.