1 / 3

On May 18 the meeting of the RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan and Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament, who arrived in Armenia on an official visit, was held in RA National Assembly. The members of the NA delegation in EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guest, the RA National Assembly Speaker expressed conviction that Mr Buzek’s visit to Armenia would be an additional impetus for the development and activation of Armenia-European Union relations. Hovik Abrahamyan warmly recalled the meeting, which was held recently with Jerzy Buzek in Brussels within the framework of the visit to take part in the Constituent Meeting of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly.

The NA Speaker thanked for the interest shown by the European Parliament towards Armenia, especially in connection with the European Neighbourhood Eastern Policy Report, which raised Armenia-European Union cooperation to a qualitative new degree, as well as highly assessed the personal involvement of the European Parliament President in the process of the Eastern Partnership and the founding of EURONEST. Welcoming the creation of the EURONEST PA, Hovik Abrahamyan noted that this organization could become that platform, which would give opportunity to reach the establishment of mutual trust and regional cooperation.

Thanking for invitation and warm reception, the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek considered important the representation of the Armenian delegation at high level in the Constituent Meeting of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly and welcomed the big attention and the importance, which Armenia showed towards that organization, which would give opportunity to solve many issues in the region, including existing problems. The President of the European Parliament said that the EURONEST created to improve the relations with the EU and the neighbouring Eastern European countries, noting that Armenia with its role was an important country in the region.

Jerzy Buzek welcomed the representatives of all parties being included in the Armenian delegation pursuing negotiations with the EU and expressed hope that such negotiations also between the authorities and opposition.

The RA NA Speaker documented that the direction of the integration to European structures was one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy and touched upon the procedure of the reforms being implemented in Armenia, the steps ongoing by the authorities, including, the improvement of the electoral legislation. Hovik Abrahamyan noted that the authorities saw Armenia in the European family, and they had political will to implement reforms and make the processes consonant with European standards. It’s not accidental that Armenia welcomed the establishment of the Eastern Partnership and the creation of the EURONEST PA, was the first that welcomed the idea of cooperation in this parliamentary format with the European Union. Hovik Abrahamyan noted that we should deprive the EURONEST from the efforts of making a platform of senseless accusations. Meanwhile, Azerbaijani side with its speech, given at the EURONEST PA Constituent Meeting tried to use this international platform and distort the reality on the NK conflict.

The RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan noted that Armenia had repeatedly announced that the problem should be only settled within the OSCE Minsk Group, through peaceful negotiations. Whereas, Azerbaijan with its bellicose announcements, the snipers’ shootings, seeking other formats for the solution of the issue gives basis to think that he does not want to solve the problem through peaceful means. In Hovik Abrahamyan’s word, the problem has no solution, in particular, the international law stipulated in OSCE Helsinki Final Act on the basis of the principles of the nations’ self-determination, territorial integrity and non-use of force.

At the meeting the deepening of bilateral cooperation and the development of the relations between the European structures and Armenia was also highlighted.