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On December 19, the members of the RA NA Tsarukyan and the RA NA Way Out Factions met with the Co-Chair of the European Union-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) Sajjad Karim and the members of the delegation.

Thanking for the meeting the Co-Chair of the European Union-Armenia PCC Sajjad Karim has noted that it is a pleasure to be in Armenia, especially in the turning phase, when the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership was signed between Armenia and the European Union. The Co-Chair was interested in the process of Armenia turning into parliamentary government. According to him, after the constitutional amendments the parliament should be of bigger weight and significance.

Welcoming the guests in the RA National Assembly, the Head of the RA NA Way Out Faction Nikol Pashinyan touched upon the constitutional amendments implemented in Armenia and noted that the role of the parliament had not increased, but not decreased. The member of the RA NA Way Out Faction Aram Sargsyan has informed that the Way Out ally is the only political force that has enshrined in its pre-electoral programme a provision on creating a state of European model and has been against the Eurasian Economic Union. In the word of the member of the RA NA Way Out Faction Edmon Marukyan, the RA authorities had not vision of building a parliamentary country. According to him, the constitutional amendments have been made for eliminating the presidential elections.

The Secretary of the RA NA Tsarukyan Vahe Enfiajyan, highly assessing Armenia-EU cooperation, has noted that we should make great efforts to solve the problems and the programmes in Armenia and making them reality. He positively assessed the implemented constitutional amendments and noted that from April 2018 the MPs would have an opportunity to address their questions to the first person of the country. To him, the Faction will make use of the RA Draft Electoral Code, by which it will be proposed to establish hundred per cent proportional electoral system.

On the same day the Co-Chair of the European Union-Armenia PCC Sajjad Karim and the members of delegation met with the representatives of the RA NA RPA and the RA NA ARF Factions.

Welcoming the guests in the RA National Assembly the Head of the RPA Faction Vahram Baghdasaryan emphasized the multi-polar activity of Armenia with the countries of the European Union.

“It is important for us that the European Union countries would ratify the Agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union as soon as possible, in order we would be able to fully work and call it into life,” the Head of the RPA Faction noted.

Vahram Baghdasaryan also noted that the Armenian side had taken into consideration the remarks of the European Parliament observers during the recent national elections and assured that they would be rectified by law.

The Head of the RPA Faction noted relating to the Nagorno Karabakh problem settlement: “In this issue we thank the European family for the balanced policy, but we consider necessary the installation of the monitoring equipment along the whole border in order the international community gives distinct assessment who violate the border and who are aggressors. Armenia and Artsakh want peace and without use of force and final settlement of the problem around negotiation table,” Vahram Baghdasaryan said. He also presented details on the elaboration and adoption of the draft law on Prevention of Violence in the Family, on Protection of the Persons Subjected to Violence in the Family Restoration of Solidarity in the Family, noting that during the adoption such laws it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the national way of thinking.

“The provisions on the criminal responsibility are distinctly are set out in the draft law. However, the Armenian people’s millennia-old history shows that our country has been based on firm families,” Vahram Baghdasaryan stated.

The Co-Chair of the European Union-Armenia PCC Sajjad Karim thanked the Head of the RPA Faction for the warm reception and emphasized the EU-Armenia cooperation, as a result of which the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership was signed.

Sajjad Karim has assured that they are ready to assist and support the process of the elaboration of the new laws.

In response to his European colleagues’ interpellation, the Head of the RA NA ARF Faction Armen Rustamyan has noted that, according to the constitutional law the RA NA Rules of Procedure, the parliamentary delegations and deputies present mandatory report to the parliament on their activities in different international structures. The Secretary of the ARF Faction Aghvan Vardanyan has noted that the Armenian side is ready to call into life the Agreement.

The deputy of the ARF Faction Armenuhi Kyureghyan referred to the issue of women’s representation in the parliament and highlighted the fact that by the RA new Electoral Code 30 per cent had been allocated to the women in the proportional lists from 2022. The provision on the female deputy’s refusal has been removed from the Code.

The deputy of the RA NA RPA Faction Samvel Farmanyan highlighted the cooperation with the European Union which had given desirable result: a historical document was signed.

The MP also touched upon the issue of the freedom of the mass media, noting that with regards to the legislation of the sphere Armenia is considered an exemplary country.