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On November 30 in the session hall of the RA National Assembly the forum “Parliamentary Orientation and Cooperation with the Civil Society For European Integration: Values and Experience” was held, where NA deputies, representatives of civil society, Euronest PA, Georgian Parliament and members of the Youth Parliament.

The RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan and the President of the European People’s Party (EPP), former Prime Minister of Belgium Wilfried Martens welcomed the forum participants and wished them effective work.

The RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan noted in his speech:

“Distinguished President of the European People’s Party

Mr Wilfried Martens,

Dear colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, let me express my gratitude to all of you and, especially, to the EPP President Wilfried Martens for attending this important event of the meeting with the civil society in the RA National Assembly.

The role of the European People’s Party is big in the establishment of the European Union, as its values and principles genuinely have been the driving force of the creation of the European project.

For our country, Armenia, which I have honour to represent in our today’s meeting, were the same Christian values, due to which through centuries our nation not only maintained its identity, but also surviving calamities and genocide launched the restoration of the statehood. With its historical and cultural mission of adhering to European values, the Republic of Armenia headed by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan, continues its policy of the rapprochement of the relations with Europe and European organizations.

Today, Armenia with its pursued balanced and constructive policy is an important factor of regional stability.

In this context we should also observe the membership of three political parties and among them, the Republican Party of Armenia to the European People’s Party.

It’s remarkable that about 10 months ago in Marseilles welcoming our entrance into the big family of the European People’s Party, Mr Martens made forecasts that this circumstance can be an additional impetus in the process of implementation of wide-scale reforms in Armenia.

I ought to note that the initiatives of the European People’s Party are the Eastern Partnership, as well as the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership, the representatives of which today are with us in this hall.

Some of them in this hall may think that this is a competitive field between the representation and participative democracy. I wish, first of all, to dissipate our doubts, they are cooperation formats complementing and enriching each other. The parliaments, which are successfully connected with the civil society, function more effective. But at the same time, I would call on our civil society to become more consolidated and united, especially in the issues, which are related to our state interests. Otherwise, it will be an unforgivable luxury for us.

Being consistent with this approach the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia actively and effectively cooperate with the civil society. Its vivid proof serve the practical contacts of the delegations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in the Committee on Armenia-European Union Parliamentary Cooperation, as well as the cooperation with the representatives of the Civil Society Forum, as a result of which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed.

Together with the Advisory Group of the European Union functioning in Armenia only during the four months we organized three parliamentary hearings on the problems of human rights and gender equality.

All this is done with one goal: to make more effective the activity of the National Assembly for the welfare and progress of the country. We, the deputies, as elected by the people, in that see our mission. All of us we are obliged to work for deepening of democracy, because it’s the only way of strengthening of statehood, development of the country and building a more welfare country for our society.”

The President of the European People’s Party Wilfried Martens in his speech thanked the organizers for this important initiative, considering specific that it coincided with the Summit of the Leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries taking place in Yerevan, as well as with the works of the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership programme going on in Stockholm. In his word, the fact that the Forum is held in the RA National Assembly is very symbolic.

Touching upon the essence of the civil society Wilfried Martens noted that irrespective of the fact what direction belong the representatives of the civil society to, first of all, they should be convinced in what they had done and fairness of the ideas. In his word, in the establishment of democracy everybody has his/her role: the elected political figures, political parties and different organizations of the civil society. The latter’s activity is of essential significance for the fundamental freedoms and protection of rights, provision of peaceful and effective democracy, progress of reforms, anti-corruption combat, investing knowledge and experience.

The EPP Vice President, MEP, Vice President of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Jacek Saryusz-Wolski in his report touched upon the European experience of coordinating the works with different structures of the civil society in platforms of parliamentary orientation. He highlighted the role of civil society in multi-party system, which creates a feeling of affiliation to the society.

To Jacek Saryusz-Wolski’s conviction, the civil society has considerable role for the parliamentary life. In his word, if the countries wish to be an EU member, then it’s important that their societies will be in contact with the civil societies of different countries.

The MP from the Georgian parliament, member of the Euronest PA Davit Darchinashvili, delivered a speech: “Parliamentary Orientation and Cooperation with the Civil Society For European Integration: Values and Experience: the experience of Georgia.”

The speakers answered numerous questions being of interest for the participants of the forum.

Then the an internet video bridge was established from the session hall of the National Assembly with the participants of the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership programme in Stockholm. During the video bridge the sides touched upon the road map of the Eastern Partnership, entry visa facilitation and liberalization, state-civil society cooperation was highlighted and a number of issues of bilateral interest were discussed.

After the end of the video bridge the Chairman of the Unison NGO Armen Alaverdyan delivered a speech.

Summing up the works of the forum the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, the Head of the Armenian Delegation of the Euronest PA Artak Zakaryan underlined that this initiative was held within the framework of the second Summit of the Leaders of the Eastern Partnership. Artak Zakaryan thanked the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan and the EPP President Wilfried Martens for taking part in the works of the Assembly and for delivering speeches, as well as all the participants and organizers of the Assembly.