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On May 31 the joint sitting of the NA delegation and Coordinating Council in the EURONEST PA was held.

The Head of the NA Delegation to the EURONEST PA Vahan Hovhannisyan reported that it was already a month that this international organization had commenced its activity. The Republic of Belarus had been deprived of the previously anticipated participation in the Eastern Partnership Parliamentary Assembly, and in fact, the 60/60 format of equal participation from the EU and Eastern Partnership countries was violated.

Mr Hovhannisyan noticed that a serious and consistent work was expected from the Armenian delegation in that structure, so during the last two sittings the delegation had decided to broadly cooperate with NGOs. A Coordinating Council was set up, the members of which should work in four working groups in accordance with the areas. He also informed them that a sitting of the delegation was convened and the list of the participation of the 10 Armenian delegates to the EURONEST PA committees was defined the day before. Artak Zakaryan is going to chair the Committee on Education, Culture and Civil Society. Mr Hovhannisyan urged the coordinators of Coordinating Council and the members of working groups to participate actively in the works of the committee, and to come up with substantiated proposals in connection with agenda items and reports.

Touching upon the staff of the NA delegation to the EURONEST PA, Vahan Hovhannisyan noticed that the Armenian delegation positively differs from the delegations of the participant states with respect to the involvement of the opposition. Three NA representatives out of ten are opposition MPs, the Head of the delegation is also from the opposition party. This fact is highly appreciated by the European structures.

The Head of the NA delegation mentioned that the period of documenting the European integration only with statements had passed. The issues of European values, in particular, democracy, should be in priority for all of us, and progressive steps in that direction should be recorded in our country. According to the speaker's conviction, the one to pass those ideas to the society should be NGOs and their representatives present in the sitting.

The representatives of NGOs, the coordinators of 4 working groups, also took the floor. They made proposals on organizing the works effectively, in particular, emphasizing the issues of providing the participation of unacknowledged units, participatory democracy, the role of the assessment process and efficient, operative information while conducting reforms.

The members of the NA Delegation to the EURONEST PA expressed conviction that active cooperation would be formed with NGOs. They underscored their advice and proposals, especially on the committees’ agendas.

In the joint sitting of the NA Delegation to the Eastern Partnership Parliamentary Assembly and Coordinating Council certain agenda items were also discussed.