European Union News
November 16, 2013 Saturday
Committee of Ministers: Armenia hands over chairmanship to Austria
Brussels
European Union has issued the following news release:
The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of
Europe passed from Armenia to Austria today, at a meeting at the
Organisation’s Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of
its 47 member States.
Before handing over the chairmanship to his successor, the outgoing
Chair Edward Nalbandian, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia, gave
an overview of his country’s achievements during its chairmanship of
the Committee of Ministers.
The new Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Michael Spindelegger,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, presented the priorities of
the Austrian chairmanship which will run for six months as of today.
At a brief ceremony during the meeting, Minister Spindelegger solemnly
handed over to the Secretary General, Thorbjørn Jagland, the
instrument of Austria’s ratification of the Council of Europe
Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and
domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention (CETS no. 210).
Austria pledged that, during its chairmanship, it would “promote
measures for an early entry into force of the Convention”, which
requires 10 ratifications