On December 26 in the Gilded Hall NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan invited the accredited journalists and the heads of the media for New Year reception. Addressing them the NA Speaker said:

“Today the aim of gathering in the Gilded Hall of the National Assembly is to celebrate together the New Year Eve. I would like to thank you for widely covering the activity of the National Assembly. Due to your daily work the National Assembly is the most open, public and transparent functioning state structure, where there cannot be and there isn’t any secret from the journalists.

I congratulate everybody’s New Year! I wish you solidarity, tolerance, successes and happiness. I want to believe that in 2009 your reports and publications from the parliament will be really objective, interesting important and necessary for the people.

Let the year 2009 bring successes, peace and welfare to our country, health and happiness to our families.

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!”

Afterwards an informal talk was held between the NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan and the journalists, and Mr Abrahamyan answered their numerous questions.

“What changes have been in the National Assembly and what changes are expected?” Mr Abrahamyan noted in response that the changes are obvious and visible, and they will not be connected with certain part of time because they suppose continuous process. “The parliament is a political body, and the Parliament Speaker, the head of the political body, and the initiated and the undertaken serious steps have been directed to the establishment of tolerance, unity and solidarity. In the nearest future we envisage national Assembly-people numerous contacts,” said the NA Speaker and added that within that framework regular visits will take place to the regions of Armenia. First, the deputies elected from the certain territory will visit the communities, and get familiarized with all the problems of the community, if necessary parliamentary hearings will be organized for finding joint solutions with the government. As the NA Speaker ensured, changes will also take place in the issue of the legislative initiatives, if now the 92% of the draft laws presents the Government, and only 8% present the deputies, in the nearest future much more initiatives will be from the deputies. Mr Abrahamyan also said that a working group was set up to be engaged in the changes of the 21 laws, which the RA Constitutional Court recognized contradicting the Constitution of the country.

Accepting the good wishes and New Year Eve congratulations of the heads of the journalist and media the NA Speaker Mr Hovik Abrahamyan wished them successes in their work and personal life.