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On May 18 in the National Assembly the joint press conference of the RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan and the President of the European Parliament (EP) Jerzy Buzek was held.

Welcoming the guest Hovik Abrahamyan underlined that during the last one year the EU-Armenia cooperation was activated, numerous mutual visits of high-ranking officials took place and expressed conviction that such visits, and in particular, the visit of the President of the European Parliament would promote the development and deepening of relations between the two parliaments. “In Armenia’s foreign policy the activation and development of cooperation with the EU is a prior direction. We cooperate in different formats,” the RA NA Speaker said.

Thanking for invitation and reception Jerzy Buzek noticed that Armenia and the EU citizens were in their common house, which was Europe. He noted that Armenia was a decisive, important neighbour for the EU, especially in the South Caucasus region. “We create partnership with each other due to Armenia being open. I know that Armenia is making progress through reforms. That is the choice of Armenia, the RA President, the RA Parliament, the RA Government, the Armenian people through what road the country goes on. But I think if we want welfare for our citizens, the best way is democracy, human rights and market economy,” the President of the European Parliament noted. The latter underlined that he was pleased with the cooperation that existed between the parliaments of Armenia and the EU. Armenia and the European Union cooperate in many directions. The guest highlighted the stability of Armenia’s position and activity. “We cooperate, we are open to each other, the Speaker of the Armenian parliament and me,” Jerzy Busek said.

The RA NA Speaker and the President of the European Parliament answered the journalists’ questions.

In response to the question on the NK problem settlement, Mr Buzek noted that though they didn’t recognize Nagorno Karabakh as a unit, but it did not mean that we might forget the people’s basic needs, people should communicate, travel, but there would not be wars, this was the EU policy. According to the President of the European Parliament, if we want to find comprehensive solution in future, we should prepare the communities for that, the Nagorno Karabakh, including. To Mr Buzek’s conviction, we should move through the peace process.

Responding the journalist’s question on March 1 events, the EP President noted that he had discussed this issue with the RA President and the RA NA Speaker, and the two very important persons ensured him that an examination was underway, and every effort was taken to solve the problem.

In response to the journalist’s question on the existence of “political prisoners” in Armenia, the RA NA Speaker was the first to answer. He stressed that he didn’t agree with the journalist’s idea that there were “political prisoners” in Armenia. Regarding the Parliament Speaker’s letter addressed to RA President on Sasun Mikaelyan’s release, Hovik Abrahamyan noted that it had been the proposal of his coalition colleagues, RPA, PAP and Country of Law factions. “I have sent the letter to the RA President, we have talked, and the President has said that the issue is under observation, and I hope (this is my personal opinion) that in future that issue will be positively solved,” the NA Speaker noted.

To the conviction of the President of the European Parliament, several persons’ recent release was a promising decision.