“Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Dear participants of the international conference,

I welcome and greet all those present,

The convening of this conference jointly with the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, Constitutional Court of Armenia and International Conference of Organs of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of Young Democracy pursues a goal to raise the tendencies of the European experience and development together with you and sum them up in this important sphere of cooperation.

Serious changes have been made in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia by November 27, 2005 referendum. The whole value system of the Constitution presently is anchored on principles of the protection of human rights and citizen’s fundamental rights and freedoms, guaranteeing of the rule of law, the establishment of democratic power in our country, separation and balance of the authorities, establishing effective local self-government and other constitutional fundamental principles.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia has done a huge work in complying the acting legislation with constitutional amendments, filling in the legislation gaps, in establishing constitutional democracy. Only during the last convocation the National Assembly adopted 545 laws, 47 decisions and ratified 92 international treaties.

It’s a fact that every law is a result of political mutual consent, and the revelation of its constitutionality by authoritative constitutional body, in our opinion, should be observed as a support from the view of more effectively implementing its legislative function by the parliament.

While implementing its legislative policy the National Assembly extremely highlights the coordinated work with other bodies of the power.

Being led by the logic that in October 2008 a special working group was set up in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia in order to study the legal positions of the Constitutional Court and elaborate proposals of legislative initiatives. We find that such operative response is an important step for taking into account the effective cooperation and legal positions of the Constitutional Court.

Members of the parliaments and constitutional courts of many countries take part in this conference. I express my deep gratitude for accepting our invitation and for taking part in the conference. I am sure that effective solutions have been found during the years in all countries in guaranteeing active cooperation and supremacy of Constitution. As a result of constitutional amendments our country turned into a new stage of building a legal state and civil society. On the path of the establishment of constitutional democracy in the country we should overcome difficulties, which the countries of classical democracy of the Western Europe related to through years, and which presently are characteristic to almost all young democratic countries. So, with such representative staff members it can be useful not only for the participants of the conference, but also it will be an important contribution in this sphere from the view of revelation of all-European tendencies of the developments and generalization.

I also think that the cooperation of democratic institutes and searching joint solutions is useful and can be also exemplary for other bodies of state power, and this format of dialogue is worth of encouraging.

Dear colleagues,

I would like to convey my word of gratitude to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and personally to Mr. Buquicchio for supporting us and for active cooperation. The implementation of the constitutional reforms in Armenia was the result of our many years’ joint efforts. Every year more than one dozen of draft laws are submitted to the examination of the Venice Commission, the conclusions of which are very useful for us, the conclusions of which are very useful for us. From now on we will also continue the active cooperation with the Venice Commission, I am sure it will have positive role in more effectively moving forward the general process of our European integration. Taking advantage I congratulate the General Secretary of the Venice Commission Mr. Gianni Buquicchio on the occasion of being awarded an Order of Honour by the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Serzh Sargsyan.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia established active bilateral relations with the parliaments of many countries. During these days the delegation headed by the President of the Senate of the Belgian Kingdom Mr. Armand De Decker is in Armenia on an official visit. Our colleagues kindly agreed also to take part in the works of this conference.

Concluding my word I greet all of you once again and wish you effective work and I would like to express gratitude to the President of the Constitutional Court to Mr. Gagik Harutyunyan for organizing this important conference in Armenia.

Thank you.”