FM Nalbandyan meets OSCE/ODIHR mission chief.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan received on Thursday Radmila Shekerinska, the head of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Greeting the guest, Armenia's top diplomat said the country is actively involved in the OSCE/ODIHR cooperation programs and initiatives and noted that his 2009 tour to the Organization’s central headquarters in Warsaw was the first ever visit by a foreign minister.

According to a press release by the Ministry, Nalbandyan reaffirmed the Armenian authorities’ commitment to hold the upcoming parliamentary election in line with international standards and stressed in that connection that the country has launched large-scale reforms in cooperation with international organizations. He noted further that Armenia’s amended Electoral Code received approval by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR.

Thanking the minister for the invitation, Shekerinska said their activities as observers are aimed at enhancing the electoral processes in Armenia and promised, on behalf of the mission, to conduct an unbiased monitoring of the polls.

The chief of the election observation mission informed the Armenian FM that the OSCE/ODIHR long-term observers will arrive in Armenia next week to start their full-scale activities. All in all, 24 long-term and 250 short-term observers are expected to follow the electoral processes on May 6.

Nalbandyan reiterated the Foreign Ministry’s willingness to do everything possible within its competences assist in the mission.