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RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan invited the heads of the media and the journalists accredited in the parliament to festive reception on the occasion of the New Year and Holy Nativity on December 27. Addressing them the NA President said:

“Dear representatives of the media,

I am glad to greet you in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, which is not only the venue of the activity of the highest legislative body, but it is also the venue of our joint work. I am sure, as it was before, in 2012 also our cooperation has succeeded, and regardless of the differences of our views and political positions, we were always able to freely communicate with each other within the limits correctness and tolerance, reasonability and sincerity. In any case, as I have repeatedly had occasion to announce, I am always for the atmosphere of solidarity and tolerance, and I will continue to make all efforts for ensuring such atmosphere in the National Assembly, including also, for the journalists and with the journalists in the work.

The journalists and the media are the forerunners of the formation and the establishment of the civil society. With this respect the journalistic big and influential family of Armenia is not an exception, taking into consideration its weighty role in the life of state and society. In the extraordinary congress of the Republican Party of Armenia held recently, underlining the denial of the use of force towards the journalists and the right of freely opposing, the Chairman of the party and President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan stressed that “in our country there is no alternative to pluralism, political freedoms and freedom of speech.” I am sure that you, dear journalists, in the parliament can freely execute your rights and implement your full professional activity. At the same time, I think that neither the deputy, nor this or that journalist, should not try to oppose their work and human relations to each other. Instead, they should be compared, moreover that challenges and problems face our country, which should overcome not the politicians, journalists or this or that representative of the society separately, but we altogether.

Dear journalists,

I thank all of you for our joint work. I wish everybody that your work would stem only from the concerns of the country and from honest, selfless strivings.

I congratulate you on the occasion of the New Year and Holy Nativity and wish you health, optimism and welfare.”

By the order of the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan, Lia Khojoyan, Karine Mangasaryan, Lilit Kasyan, Arman Galoyan, Avetis Babajanyan, Armen Mkhitaryan, Harutyun Tolanyan and Artak Barseghyan were awarded the RA NA President’s nominal watch for covering conscientiously and unbiased, for many years the works of the parliament.