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On December 24 the press conference of RA NA Speaker Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan was held.

Summing up the work done the RA NA Speaker said:

“The year comes to an end. The sixth session of the National Assembly of the fourth convocation was also ended, and I’ll briefly present the works of the parliament done during the last one year.

Assuming the post of the Parliament Speaker I defined several important priorities, which I considered important and of principle in the aspect of ensuring progress in content and quality in the works of the parliament. It was a prior problem for me that the parliament would distinctly fulfill the authorities reserved to him by Constitution, and it was similarly important in the legislative body to lay down a new beginning of political processes and traditions, in order to touch upon the challenges and problems facing our country with new approaches, new concepts of solutions.

Now I shall try to assess briefly and unbiased the activity of the legislative body and I shall say there is positive move in the activity of the parliament with respect to the content. The parliamentary standing committees, to which is reserved the main burden of the legislative activity, have started rather actively working. From now on all the chairpersons of all 12 standing committees will make an annual public report and it will be visible for everybody, and first of all, for the voters what the given committee has done during the accounting period. This work style from now on will be a tradition because nobody among us should forget that first of all he/she is accountable before his/her voters, our people. Any information on the activity of the parliament and committees you can get from the Public Relations Department of the parliament. I’ll say that in the passing year after being elected as NA Speaker the National Assembly adopted 327 laws. From the adopted laws I would like especially to distinguish the law on General Education, law on Accounting and the tax package. The adoption of these laws was realistically urgent and regulated very important spheres.

Many draft laws, which we shall touch upon in the spring session, are put into circulation.

During the year 2009 the parliament received from our citizens 5562 letters, which we answered.

Besides being political tribune N 1 of Armenia the National Assembly is reserved by the Constitution and laws of our country numerous functions and spheres of responsibility, in the issue of the full implementation it was of principle that the parliament would consistently add its political weight and prestige in the system of state power and community. Of course, the citizen of our country will give the most unbiased assessment, but I am sure you’ll agree with me that the political weight and prestige of the parliament have been rather arisen. And if among the public there was sometimes such mentality, maybe in some way realistic that the parliament is the appendix of the executive body, and at least the mechanical puncher of the draft laws of the government. In this aspect the ongoing active, sometimes, stormy debates in the committees and in the plenary sessions testify that the parliament distinctly carries out its functions. Naturally, it does not refer to just self-purposeful confrontation and as NA Speaker, I am permanently against self-purposeful contradictions. However, if the parliament has its opinion which does not coincide with the viewpoint of the government, then during this period you become ensured that this opinion sounds and will permanently sound.

As head of the parliament, it was very important for me to see the parliament as a landing of real debates and disputes too. During my election I have said that, and I am repeating now that we must not beware of sharp angles, we must not avoid the publicity and discussing the problems open and in comprehensive way. That is the problem of the parliament: to be collision of political real discussions, opinions and viewpoints, a tribune of consent and cooperation, as in the parliamentary discussions the democracy and plurality become firmer. Of course, the culture of the political dispute is far from being perfect, but I am contented that the parliament is turned into a landing of political opinions and public disputes. And the most important thing is that today more and more issues and problems are moved from the streets and landings into a landing of real political dispute – the National Assembly.

Dear journalists!

The activation of the parliamentary diplomacy, the fulfillment of more consistent and full work in international structures are among the superior problems of the legislative body in the conditions of current realities of international relations. The work of our delegations represented in different international structures I assess effective. Certainly, not all delegations work with effectiveness, but I’ve put a task before everybody to do the maximum for presenting the interests of our country at high level. Last week in Paris it was recorded during the sessions of PACE committees that among 47 states of the Council of Europe the Armenian delegation was in the first ten states with activeness of participating in the plenary meetings, works of the committees and voting in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Armenia is in the 3^rd place among 47 countries with activeness of participating at plenary sittings, we are in the 9^th place with activeness of participating in the works of the committees, and our delegation is the 8^th with activeness of participating in voting. I consider this a wonderful criterion, and I have put a task before all remaining delegations to actively get involved in the works of those international most serious structures for the sake of the Republic of Armenia and our people.

I also would like to touch upon the Eastern Partnership format of the European Union, which started in May. It envisages closer cooperation with the European Union. As you know, the organizational works of the parliamentary format of the Eastern Partnership Euronest, and our parliament is actively involved in those works. By the way, recently the parliament also had an Advisor of the European Union, with whom we had predetermined great volume of work.

In the passing year Armenia became an associate member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, and I am sure that we also have serious work to do in that platform.

As Speaker of the National Assembly during my meetings abroad I notice the serious and collegial attitude that exists towards our country. Today, Armenia has prestige of reliable colleague, with whom the super powers dictating the rules of the game of the world policy take into account, and it is the result of pursuing active initiative foreign policy of acting power, President Serzh Sargsyan.

In a few words, I’ll also touch upon the parliamentary foreign relations. Regarding the sittings of the international organizations, which were held in RA NA, in April 2009 the 10^th sitting of Armenia-European Union Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, the 17^th sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly and Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and this month the 7^th regular sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the RA National Assembly and NKR NA were held.

Touching upon my official visits I’ll note that in February 2009 I left for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on an official visit, then in April for Poland. In June I took part in PACE summer session and gave a speech there. In July I took part at the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, where our country received a status of associate member. In September I had a visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In November I took part at the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and in December I left for the South Korea on an official visit. I consider all these visits very important, during which many serious agreements have been reached, agreements, memoranda have been signed. For example, the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran had not signed a memorandum with a parliament of any state: the first state that signed had been the Republic of Armenia.

One more task that I have put before me was to do everything that the parliament will be open and public for the society, and that the National Assembly will reach the representatives of different layers of our society.

Yes, indeed, we have a problem to make more understandable, closer and perceptible the parliament for the people. We have this for a long time.

During this year we only succeeded to make the first steps on this path. This was a year of breaking taboos. Many people personally saw and felt that the National Assembly was not a mysterious and hidden closed structure behind many doors. We broke that feeling of mysteriousness. But this is only the beginning. We also shall be able to show that the National Assembly is an institute, which listens to the people, is next to the people, and is for the people. And when our citizens, who live in different marzes (provinces) of Armenia, personally notice that even the clever proposals raised by their children later are elaborated, become laws and decisions, that is, are called into life, will be definitely ensured that there won’t be barriers for clever ideas, well-thought proposals in order to ease the people’s burden in our country. “Good idea, clever idea wins in Armenia:” we shall make this a conviction and reality. Within the framework of Open Doors of the National Assembly programme we held different events in the parliament, and the positive result is evident. In this way the people working inside the parliament must think and act, this perception we shall be able to sow in the society with our works and work style. And for this we’ll consistently continue to strengthen society-parliament relation, and our efforts directed to making it as daily cooperation.

The passing year showed that we can do that, the coming year will show that will be quickly implemented. I don’t doubt that within the framework of Open Doors of the National Assembly programme we’ll develop more and give opportunity all layers of the society to visit the National Assembly, communicate with NA deputies. In future we think to fulfill an idea, which has also been before: create a youth parliament.

Now we discuss, and it is envisaged to have in our programme 131 youngsters, students, who will represent the 10 marzes of the republic and the city of Yerevan. We’ll have our Youth Parliament, which will convene a sitting every month, will present proposals, will debate the draft laws, which will be on the agenda of the National Assembly and will try to take part in them and submit them to the National Assembly. In my opinion, it’s very important, and it’s a big progress. We’ll do our best in order to move the issues under discussion, the criticism towards the authorities to the landing of the National Assembly. This, to me, has been succeeded in some way but I am not pleased with those results.

As NA Speaker I am sure that in future we’ll solve all the tasks laid down before us.”

Afterwards the NA Speaker answered the journalists’ questions

A question was addressed to NA Speaker: in his opinion in what terms the Armenian-Turkish protocols can enter into the parliament, as on January 12 the constitutionality of the Armenian-Turkish protocols will be examined in the Constitutional Court and what position has Mr. Abrahamyan in this issue. “We'll discuss the issue of the ratification of the protocols directed to the settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations when the Turkish Parliament discusses and makes decision,” NA Speaker said. “We have repeatedly said that we expect that the Turkish Parliament will discuss within reasonable terms, will ratify the protocols, if not, we’ll take steps, which will correspond with the steps taken by the Turkish side.”

Touching upon the last statement of the Turkish Foreign Minister that in the Armenian-Turkish relations the factor of time is not important but the wider prospect, and the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem will not be healthy, the NA Speaker said that he negatively refers to such expressions of every official. “I find that it is also not honest, as from the beginning an agreement was between the parties that we create diplomatic relations without any precondition. In different speeches they try to connect it with NK conflict. I find that it is an unfair step, and if they don’t ratify the protocols without any precondition, we’ll try to take our step,” the NA Speaker concluded.

In response to the question about the activity of RA Government and RA Prime Minister Mr. Tigran Sargsyan in 2009 the NA Speaker said that the parliament closely cooperates with the Government, there is no disagreement between him and the Prime Minister: “The RPA proposed Tigran Sargsyan in the position of the Prime Minister, taking into account his professional abilities, and I consider that the government led Mr. Tigran Sargsyan, does everything in order to overcome the world economic crisis, and the NA supports, giving additional levers, mechanisms in order to implement the anti-crisis programmes. Mr. Tigran Sargsyan is already an RPA member, and it obliges him more, as with that he has assumed one additional responsibility before the party.” RA NA Speaker also positively assessed the Prime Minister’s entrance into RPA, considering it natural, as Mr. Tigran Sargsyan and the two ministers, who joined the RPA, were co-thinkers of the party.

Regarding the news about the contradictions between the RPA and Prosperous Armenia party (PAP) Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan stated that there were no disagreements between two parliamentary factions. “There were different opinions on separate bills, we tried to discuss with me, come to common conclusion. The RPA, PAP and the Country of Law are coalition partners, and we discuss all problems in that context,” he added.

Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan also touched upon the step, which was taken by the RPA deputies, signing under the application of releasing the defendant Sasun Mikaelyan, noting that he didn’t think that the members of RPA faction should sign under a document, which referred to the head of the party. According to him, the party members could raise that issue during the meetings with the President of the Republic of Armenia and the Republican Party of Armenia, and they had that opportunity. He does not consider this step correct, especially taking into account the fact that the RA President has not such right by legislation.

In response to the question how he refers to the possibility of being elected Nikol Pashinyan deputy of the National Assembly, NA Speaker Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan said that he would only be happy as the increase of the number of the opposition deputies in the parliament would promote the issues to be discussed deeper, and as a result of reasonable contradictions very good draft laws are born.

Touching upon the issue if he considers the page of March 1 closed, Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan said: “As a fact yes, but as a phenomenon we have a lot to do in order not to have such cases to be repeated.”

Commenting on the news, which were spread by mass media as if he was going to make an inner revolution, Mr. Abrahamyan said: “I am a man of a team, and I have proved during my whole activity my fidelity, and I shall never become a traitor.”

Answering the journalist’s question who will become the next President and if he will be elected through extraordinary elections, Mr. Abrahamyan answered: “There will be regular elections, and Serzh Sargsyan will be elected, and at least I’ll do everything in order he will be elected.” And in response to the question if he pretended for the President’s post, the following answer voiced: “No, I am pleased with the post of the Speaker of the National Assembly.”

In connection with the Artashat well-known events the NA Speaker, whose name was connected with this story, denied his involvement in that. “For me as NA Speaker, those events are condemnable, as they are connected with the rights of the state, law and human rights. Of course, it’s not honest to connect the Artashat events with me, and I think that by law the preventive measures, which deserve the participants of the event, must be punished. In general, I don’t have a problem with settling scores or prosecution. There has been an argument, people have been punished, there have been shootings, and some actions have taken place, which have been condemned by the law enforcement bodies. And what shall I do is the following: everybody must be appropriately punished by law.”

In response to the question if the political field work with effectiveness in order to confront the challenges the RA NA Speaker opined that the actions of every political figure, every citizen should be aimed at the interests of the country, state, however, unfortunately, it was not always that the political forces, political figures made proposals, or gave speeches or their actions led to that. Mr. Abrahamyan ensured that as coalition political forces both in the National Assembly and the Government would do their best in order they could confront those challenges together.

The journalists were interested in the destiny of the new bill regulating the mass media, which was circulated. The RA NA Speaker is for the implementation of the process, but he is also for the journalist or the mass media to be at least for insulting or slandering a person, citizen, political figure financially fined. He expressed willingness, if necessary, to support the organization of the parliamentary hearings, to have a draft law as a result if opinions and proposals, which would emanate from everybody’s interests.

In connection with the issue of the rise of the prestige of the National Assembly among the public as a result of the work done Mr. Abrahamyan thinks that in case of fairly assessing the work of the National Assembly the progress is evident. “Of course, I am not pleased with the results, and it’s not possible to raise its role working one year three months. It does not only depend on the Speaker of the National Assembly; it depends on all deputies, on all of us. There are different programmes that we shall try to fully implement in 2010. According to his assessment, the NA deputy works 48 days in the National Assembly, and on the remaining days he/she shall meet with the voters, listen to their opinions, proposals, shall invite the corresponding member of the government, raise the issue, discuss the problem and try to include it in the draft law of the budget of the next year.

In connection with the proposal of the RPA member Mr. Armen Ashotyan on building a church in the yard of the National Assembly RA NA Speaker Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan replied that it was necessary to build a church. “I, personally, build in Artashat together with my colleagues. But in the National Assembly, at the moment I am against it.”

“If there were a real Santa Claus what would you wish from Santa Claus?” In response to this question NA Speaker Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan said that one should not know about the presents of Santa Claus beforehand, that should be a surprise. “As my only son got married this year, I shall simply ask from Santa Claus and I would like that my son will give us male grandchild in 2010, who will serve in the Armenian Army and will become an active participant of the process of the establishment of our state,” the head of the parliament expressed this wish. He also wished that Santa Claus in 2010 will bring peace, the conflicts would be solved in peaceful way, because the war will not bring success to any country, to any people.