The RA NA President Alen Simonyan received the EU resident and non-resident Ambassadors accredited in Armenia on November 23. In his opening speech at the meeting, the RA NA President noted that the European Union continues to be a primary partner supporting the reform agenda being implemented by Armenia.
He stressed that the legal contract field had been expanded, and our cooperation had been supplemented with new directions, in particular, the dialogue on political and security issues between Armenia and the EU.
“Dear diplomats, I, as a parliamentarian, would like to convey to you the European aspirations of the majority of my voters. The convergence between Armenia and Europe should be continuous and fundamental,” the NA President underlined.
At the meeting, reference was made to the early start of the dialogue between Armenia and the European Union on the liberalization of visas, Armenia-EU inter-parliamentary cooperation, particularly within the framework of the Parliamentary Partnership Committee (PPC).
The RA NA President expressed his regret that Azerbaijan refuses to take part in the meetings initiated by the EU, not adhering to the agreements reached in Brussels and making its bellicose and conquering ambitions obvious.
Thanking the EU member states for sending observers, Alen Simonyan highly valued the decision to deploy the EU mission, which is a significant step towards establishing stability in our region.
The idea of the Crossroads of Peace project was introduced to the EU Ambassadors, which provides economic and communication development opportunities for both the South Caucasus region and the countries outside of it.
Answering the questions regarding the forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, the RA NA President mentioned that the Armenian Government these days is focused on assessing the needs of the people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and solving their primary problems, which can be more effective only with strong international involvement. He added that our country greatly appreciates the humanitarian aid already allocated by the European Union and the member states.
During the discussion, they also touched upon the decision of the International Court of Justice on November 17, by which the Court obliged Baku to ensure the safe return of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to their homes, the safety of those who stayed there and those who want to leave.
The representatives of the diplomatic corps also inquired about the parliamentary opposition, the involvement of women in the Parliament, the influence of women on decisions.