Azerbaijan to take over chairmanship at CoE Committee of Ministers
By Sara Rajabova
The 124th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe opened in the Austrian capital of Vienna on May 6.
Azerbaijani delegation led by Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov joined the session, chaired by Sebastian Kurz, Austrian minister of foreign affairs, chairman of the Committee of Ministers.
The session will see the chairmanship of the Committee passing to Azerbaijan, and Mammadyarov will address the event to lay out the country's priorities during its tenure as the chair.
Prior to the session, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev said the fight against corruption, social issues, multiculturalism inherent to Azerbaijan, education, and the human rights awareness will be priority issues for Azerbaijan's presidency of the Committee.
He said about 20 different events will be held during Azerbaijan's presidency of the Committee.
Mammadguliyev further noted that a large conference will be convened on fight against corruption.
He said the program on the work of the Council of Europe and Azerbaijan for 2014-2016 has been approved.
Mammadguliyev added that the Secretary General of the Council of Europe will visit Azerbaijan in the near future and the official presentation ceremony of the action plan will be held during his visit.
Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the CE Committee of Ministers will start on May 14.
The main theme of the session is "Council of Europe Values and Stability in Europe: Current Challenges".
The session will hear a report by Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland on "State of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Europe" during the first session.
Securing the long-term effectiveness of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights, cooperation with the European Union and the policy of the Council of Europe toward neighboring regions will also be discussed.
The Committee of Ministers, which meets once a year, is the main decision-making body of the Council of Europe.