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On December 1, in the Marriott Hotel the Public Awareness Event of the Twinning Project ‘Strengthening of Capacity of the RA National Assembly to Further Support the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Oversight and Implementation’ took place. Members of Parliaments of the RA National Assembly, Greece and Italy (online format), representatives of the Staffs and international organizations, Foreign Ambassadors accredited in Armenia and experts participated there.

Let us remind that the Twinning Project is fully funded by the European Union and implemented by the Greek and the Italian Parliaments. The goal of the Project is to develop the RA NA capabilities, to boost the EU legislation and policy approximation through the improvement of the law making and

legislative oversight tools and support the oversight and implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The RA NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan had an opening speech. Welcoming the participants, he underlined that the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement entering into force on March 1, 2021 marked the launch of the new phase of cooperation between the European Union and Armenia. The provisions of the Agreement set a wide scope of spheres of cooperation between the European Union and Armenia, including democracy, rule of law, the strengthening of respect towards human rights, the creation of more jobs and business opportunities, the improvement of legislation, ensuring public security and cleaner environment, as well as providing opportunities for better education and research.

According to the Vice President, the RA National Assembly is intended to implement the mission for the effective fulfilment of the assumed obligations and the parliamentary oversight of the mechanism of the introduction of the National Assembly road map and action plan reserved to it, first of all, for the welfare of its citizens.

According to Ruben Rubinyan, the complete operation of the Agreement together with support provided to Armenia in July 2021 within the framework of the ‘Economic and Investment Programme’ of the Eastern Partnership will give tangible uses to the citizens of Armenia and will be of essential importance for the social-economic recovery and the long-term stability of the country.

Welcoming the participants of the public awareness event of the Twinning Project, the RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan noted: “The Staff of the National Assembly, cooperating with the Parliaments of Greece and Italy within the framework of the Twinning Project, pursues one important goal to strengthen the capabilities of the National Assembly, using the international best experience.” Vahan Naribekyan has underlined that the strengthening of the opportunities, knowledge, capabilities of hundreds of employees of the National Assembly is directly proportional with the strengthening of the National Assembly. “The Staff of the National Assembly is always open for such projects. We are sure that this cooperation will be fruitful for the parliaments of all participant states of the Twinning Project, more strengthening the good neighbourly, partnership and fraternal relationship between our nations,” the Chief of Staff, Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan.

“The basis of any successful Twinning Project is the close cooperation with the state government bodies, in this case, between the parliaments of the EU member states and partner states, reaching the experts’ capabilities of the member states,” the Head of European Union Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin opined. She expressed hope that the NA capabilities would be improved for accomplishing the legislation and practice related to the Agreement. It has been noted that the European Union and the member states carry out activities for the benefit of the citizens and the people to raise their trust towards the institutes.

Lately, the European Union allocated more than 30mln Euros for the reforms in the justice and anti-corruption spheres. These reforms are part of commitments assumed by Armenia through CEPA,” Andrea Wiktorin voiced. She expressed her gratitude to the representatives of the RA National Assembly and all the colleagues of the Project for continuous commitment and implementing the Project during the hard period. The Head of the EU Delegation expressed conviction that the effective cooperation with the Parliament of Armenia would continue.

The Chairman of the Greece-Armenia Friendship Group of the Hellenic Parliament also delivered speech. “We have a goal to provide expert’s support with our Italian colleagues, which is necessary to strengthen the capabilities of Parliament of Armenia for carrying out monitoring towards the CEPA implementation,” she underlined.

The Chairman of the Italy-Armenia Friendship Group of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Giulio Centemero also welcomed the participants in online format.

The representatives of the Staffs of the Parliaments of Greece and Italy spoke about the procedure and the components of the implementation of the Twinning Project. The Project Leader from the RA NA Marie Manukyan has underlined that a wonderful platform has been formed due to the Twinning Project, where the employees of the parliaments of the three countries not only contact on daily regime, get familiarized with the organizational nuances of the work, learn and teach, but also a unique environment of close contact, civilizational dialogue, exchange of values of three peoples have been formed. “It is a great honour for us that we implement this mission with the centuries-old countries – Motherland of democracy, parliamentary culture and parliamentary countries, from which we want to take the best experience and localize in our National Assembly,” the Project Leader said.

Anna Khvorostiankina, Academic Coordinator of Legal Approximation Laboratory, Brusov State University, delivered the thematic speech on “Legal Approximation in Armenia: Challenges and Perspectives.”

Afterwards a round-table discussion on the concepts of the main and thematic speeches was held, where the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan, the Member of the Committees on European Affairs and Public Administration, Public Order and Justice of the Hellenic Parliament Ioannis - Michail Loverdos, the Member of the Committees on European Affairs and Economic Hellenic Parliament Affairs Lazaros Tsavdaridis, the Chairman of the Greece-Armenia Friendship Group of the Hellenic Parliament Dimitrios Markopoulos and the Chairman of the Italy-Armenia Friendship Group of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Giulio Centemero (via video conference) took part.

Let us remind that the Twinning Project is fully funded by the European Union and implemented by the Greek and the Italian Parliaments. The goal of the Project is to develop the RA NA capabilities, to boost the EU legislation and policy approximation through the improvement of the law making and

legislative oversight tools and support the oversight and implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The RA NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan had an opening speech. Welcoming the participants, he underlined that the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement entering into force on March 1, 2021 marked the launch of the new phase of cooperation between the European Union and Armenia. The provisions of the Agreement set a wide scope of spheres of cooperation between the European Union and Armenia, including democracy, rule of law, the strengthening of respect towards human rights, the creation of more jobs and business opportunities, the improvement of legislation, ensuring public security and cleaner environment, as well as providing opportunities for better education and research.

According to the Vice President, the RA National Assembly is intended to implement the mission for the effective fulfilment of the assumed obligations and the parliamentary oversight of the mechanism of the introduction of the National Assembly road map and action plan reserved to it, first of all, for the welfare of its citizens.

According to Ruben Rubinyan, the complete operation of the Agreement together with support provided to Armenia in July 2021 within the framework of the ‘Economic and Investment Programme’ of the Eastern Partnership will give tangible uses to the citizens of Armenia and will be of essential importance for the social-economic recovery and the long-term stability of the country.

Welcoming the participants of the public awareness event of the Twinning Project, the RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan noted: “The Staff of the National Assembly, cooperating with the Parliaments of Greece and Italy within the framework of the Twinning Project, pursues one important goal to strengthen the capabilities of the National Assembly, using the international best experience.” Vahan Naribekyan has underlined that the strengthening of the opportunities, knowledge, capabilities of hundreds of employees of the National Assembly is directly proportional with the strengthening of the National Assembly. “The Staff of the National Assembly is always open for such projects. We are sure that this cooperation will be fruitful for the parliaments of all participant states of the Twinning Project, more strengthening the good neighbourly, partnership and fraternal relationship between our nations,” the Chief of Staff, Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan.

“The basis of any successful Twinning Project is the close cooperation with the state government bodies, in this case, between the parliaments of the EU member states and partner states, reaching the experts’ capabilities of the member states,” the Head of European Union Delegation to Armenia Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin opined. She expressed hope that the NA capabilities would be improved for accomplishing the legislation and practice related to the Agreement. It has been noted that the European Union and the member states carry out activities for the benefit of the citizens and the people to raise their trust towards the institutes.

Lately, the European Union allocated more than 30mln Euros for the reforms in the justice and anti-corruption spheres. These reforms are part of commitments assumed by Armenia through CEPA,” Andrea Wiktorin voiced. She expressed her gratitude to the representatives of the RA National Assembly and all the colleagues of the Project for continuous commitment and implementing the Project during the hard period. The Head of the EU Delegation expressed conviction that the effective cooperation with the Parliament of Armenia would continue.

The Chairman of the Greece-Armenia Friendship Group of the Hellenic Parliament also delivered speech. “We have a goal to provide expert’s support with our Italian colleagues, which is necessary to strengthen the capabilities of Parliament of Armenia for carrying out monitoring towards the CEPA implementation,” she underlined.

The Chairman of the Italy-Armenia Friendship Group of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Giulio Centemero also welcomed the participants in online format.

The representatives of the Staffs of the Parliaments of Greece and Italy spoke about the procedure and the components of the implementation of the Twinning Project. The Project Leader from the RA NA Marie Manukyan has underlined that a wonderful platform has been formed due to the Twinning Project, where the employees of the parliaments of the three countries not only contact on daily regime, get familiarized with the organizational nuances of the work, learn and teach, but also a unique environment of close contact, civilizational dialogue, exchange of values of three peoples have been formed. “It is a great honour for us that we implement this mission with the centuries-old countries – Motherland of democracy, parliamentary culture and parliamentary countries, from which we want to take the best experience and localize in our National Assembly,” the Project Leader said.

Anna Khvorostiankina, Academic Coordinator of Legal Approximation Laboratory, Brusov State University, delivered the thematic speech on “Legal Approximation in Armenia: Challenges and Perspectives.”

Afterwards a round-table discussion on the concepts of the main and thematic speeches was held, where the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan, the Member of the Committees on European Affairs and Public Administration, Public Order and Justice of the Hellenic Parliament Ioannis - Michail Loverdos, the Member of the Committees on European Affairs and Economic Hellenic Parliament Affairs Lazaros Tsavdaridis, the Chairman of the Greece-Armenia Friendship Group of the Hellenic Parliament Dimitrios Markopoulos and the Chairman of the Italy-Armenia Friendship Group of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Giulio Centemero (via video conference) took part.