2024-04-24 14:07:09
If the world were consistent with Armenia‘s warnings that Azerbaijan‘s belligerent, anti-Armenian rhetoric, the blockade of the Lachin Corridor were the prelude to tragedy, it would have been possible to prevent it, RA NA Speaker Alen Simonyan announced at the 11th plenary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.
According to him, such public and political developments once again show the challenges that democracy is facing all over the world.
“Unity in defense of universal values is the imperative of the day. human rights must be respected, superstition must be rejected, efforts must be directed to world peace and stability.
After the forced displacement of the Armenian population from Nagorno-Karabakh, our government has focused its efforts on meeting the humanitarian needs of more than 100,000 refugees. In this regard, I express my gratitude to the European Union and EU Member States for the humanitarian assistance provided to address the primary needs of the forcibly displaced.
Undoubtedly, continued support is needed to help these people rebuild their lives, and we are hopeful that the EU will continue to support the implementation of the social programs developed by the Government of Armenia to provide housing and work for the forcibly displaced.
Despite the security challenges Armenia has faced in recent months, we remain steadfast in our determination to build a society that fully reflects our values; values that we share with the EU. We applaud the EU for its commitment to deepening our cooperation and look forward to updated partnership priorities that reflect our common approaches.
I would like to refer to the historic statement of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, who in October 2023 clearly voiced Armenia’s intention to get even closer to the EU,” said Simonyan.
The Speaker of the National Assembly said that Armenia considers the Eastern Partnership, which has promoted closer cooperation with a broad agenda, as a solid foundation for Armenia-EU relations.
“The Eastern Partnership has made a huge contribution to the development of democracy in my country, which has unequivocally chosen the path of democratization and reforms. Armenia is determined to continue this path with the support of the European Union. Armenia remains committed to creating a stable and dignified peace in the region.
Let me take this moment to thank the EU Council for deploying and further expanding the EU civilian mission in Armenia. With the deployment of the EU mission in Armenia, the security situation in the border regions of the country has improved.
We look forward to starting a dialogue on visa liberalization as part of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. This will be another turning point in Armenia-EU cooperation, which, along with promoting people-to-people contacts, will send a very important political message to the people of Armenia.
Dear partners, regional security and developing and diversifying Armenia’s defense capabilities remain a priority for us. In this regard, we attach importance to the development of support to Armenia through the European instrument of peace, at the same time we seek support from all EU member states.
At the end of my speech, I would like to express my gratitude to the European Parliament for the recent resolution adopted on the need for closer relations between the European Union and Armenia, as well as on the need for a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is another clear evidence of the high level of engagement between Armenia and the EU, which is based on a joint broad-scale vision, which in turn reflects the will and aspirations of the Armenian people,” added Alen Simonyan.