On May 26 Vahan Hovhannisyan, NA Vice President received OSCE delegation, among them were Ambassadors Carlos Sanchez de Bouda (Spain), Mette Kongshem (Norway), Alex Berg (Germany), and Maria-Pia Kothbauer (Liechtenstein).

Mr. Hovhannisyan highly assessed the OSCE mission activity in Armenia and highlighted the implementation of different programmes. The NA Vice President briefly touched upon the events taking place in the inner political life of Armenia, the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, highlighting their holding free, fair and in conformity to democratic standards. Upon the guests’ request Mr. Hovhannisyan also touched upon the amendments being made in the Electoral Code, expressing a hope that the reformed version of the Electoral Code will be passed already at the beginning of autumn.

Touching upon the settlement of the Karabakh conflict problem and Armenia-Turkey relations, the Ambassadors noted that the relations with Turkey will become easier in case, when the conflict will be settled, to which Mr. Hovhannisyan answered that the issue of Karabakh in the conditions of EU membership before Turkey was not laid down and it would not be normal if Turkey-EU relations would be conditioned by the relations of the third and fourth countries, which aren’t EU members. Presenting the stance of Armenia on Artsakh key problem and highlighting the role of international parliamentary organizations in the problem settlement, Mr. Hovhannisyan expressed a view that in the settlement of the key problem the content of the proposed solutions is not only important but also the atmosphere created in the societies, to what extent the authorities prepare the societies for compromise. The authorities of Armenia never propaganda war and hatred, unlike Azerbaijan’s authorities, who make war-like statements. In the Armenian press there is no publication that arises hatred towards Azerbaijanis, meanwhile the Azerbaijani press, textbooks are flooded with publications full of hatred towards Armenians, even in the children’s radio and TV programmes the negative characters are always of Armenian origin, which inspires little hope that the Azerbaijani society are prepared for compromises. As the EU policy is the open borders, open society, free trade, then in Mr. Hovhannisyan’s view, the settlement of the conflict is possible in the conditions of partnership, regional economic cooperation, which impede Turkey and Azerbaijan with their pursued policy. In these conditions the implementation of EU New Neighbourhood policy in the region, as the EU programmes are based on integration and cooperation. Mr. Hovhannisyan expressed a hope that the solutions will be found if the principles of EU policy are also applied towards Turkey, which has blockaded Armenia.

During the meeting other issues of bilateral interest were discussed.