BBC News | EUROPE | Armenia, Azerbaijan join Council of Europe

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been admitted to the Council of Europe, the body devoted to the promotion of human rights and democracy on the continent.

At a ceremony in the Council building in Strasbourg, President Kocharian of Armenia and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan signed the European Human Rights Convention.

The two delegations then attended a flag-raising ceremony outside the building.

Armenia will have four seats in the Council and Azerbaijan six.

The Council had decided that the two countries, which have fought over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, would join at the same time.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

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