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On May 10 the members of the NA Heritage and the Prosperous Armenia factions met with the President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Wilfried Martens.

The head of the Heritage faction Styopa Safaryan, presenting the ideology, activity and goals of their party, highlighted the membership to the European People’s Party. He informed the guest that the Heritage joins the EPP faction in the OSCE PA, NATO PA, and EURONEST PA. Mr Safaryan touched upon the membership of the four main political parties, RPA, PAP, Country of Law and Heritage Party to the European People’s Party in the context of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. The head of the faction thinks that the membership to European political parties will have its positive influence in holding fair and transparent elections and Armenia’s European prospect depends on the procedure of the upcoming elections.

To the conviction of the Heritage Party faction member Zaruhi Postanjyan, the cooperation created between the Heritage Party and EPP will more deepen. At the guests’ request, talking about the cooperation with the Venice Commission experts the faction member Armen Martirosyan as a vivid example touched upon the Venice experts’ opinion on ARF presented proposals on the amendments of the Electoral Code.

The EPP President Wilfried Martens highlighted the membership to the EPP of the political forces, which carry out activity in South Caucasian countries. To Mr Martens’ conviction, in the process of membership the policy of the ongoing reforms in the country, the amendments of the Electoral Code, the freedom of speech, the law on freedom of assemblies and fighting corruption are of great importance. On the same day the head of the PAP faction Gagik Tsarukyan also received the President of the European People’s Party Wilfried Martens.

Welcoming Mr Martens the head of the faction said that the party led by him cooperates in different international structures with EPP. The PAP also cooperates with the European Movement and within the framework of that cooperation in September with the participation of 150 international organizations Eastern Partnership Congress will be held. Gagik Tsarukyan invited the EPP President to take part in the works of the Congress. He noted that they studied the EPP Statute and they had made some statutory amendments in the last Congress complying the statute of the party with the EPP statute. The head of the PAP faction ensured the guests that the Armenian people also realizes the importance of being integrated to European values. Within the framework of this issue Mr Tsarukyan emphasized the problem of facilitating the visas, which, according to him, will create an opportunity of new contacts.

At the guest’s request, the member of the faction Naira Zohrabyan touched upon the cooperation with the Venice Commission and the works of EURONEST PA. She noted that they highlighted the cooperation with the Venice Commission experts. In this context she said that the conclusion of the Venice Commission on the draft law of the Electoral Code had been received.

Mr Martens said that in autumn the visit of EPP delegation to Armenia was scheduled.