President Serzh Sargsyan’s message to the participants of the International Conference of Mayors of Capital Cities of Council of Europe Member States

Distinguished Mayors,
Distinguished Representatives of Capitals,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Presidency at the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe has been a great honor and responsibility for our country and authorities. For the six-month period of our Presidency, we set a goal to come up with initiatives which will highlight issues of common interest for the CE member states, enhancing further development and strengthening of the European values in certain areas.
Armenia highly values works conducted for decades by the Council of Europe, particularly by the Congress of the Local and Regional Authorities related to the development of grassroots democracy in member states.

We believe that grassroots democracy is a pivotal element for the democratic development of the societies. With this in mind, the mentioned area has been made a priority of the Armenian presidency, as one of the major directions of works.

Capitals have a special place in the social life of the states. The Yerevan Conference of the capital cities of CE member states is called to stress the special role of the capitals in the area of local governance, and in the political, economic, social, and cultural life. I believe that discussions on the issues included in the agenda of the Conference will allow to enhance interaction of different European capitals in order to improve the living standards of their residents, foster their participation in the city’s life, help to withstand challenges brought around by the unavoidable urbanization and other important issues.

I once again salute all participants of the Conference and wish you productive work.