JUST RUSSIA SIGNS COOPERATION AGT WITH ARMENIA LEFT PARTY

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
July 3, 2007 Tuesday 08:47 AM EST

The Just Russia party signed an agreement in Moscow on Tuesday on
cooperation with the leading Armenian left party – Dashnaktsutyun.

"This action marks a major priority in Just Russia’s international
activity – the strengthening of relations with centre-left parties
in the CIS space," leader of Just Russia, speaker of the Federation
Council upper house of parliament Sergei Mironov stated.

He said this work would be continued. In the words of Mironov,
the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Democratic Party of Moldova,
Socialist Party of Kyrgyzstan and others occupy serious positions
in the political systems of their countries, have representatives in
parliaments and governments.

During a recent trip of Mironov to Geneva at a meeting of the Council
of the Socialist International the parties reached agreements to
hold a working meeting of representatives of social democratic and
socialist parties of CIS countries.

It is expected to be held in Russia this autumn. "Our plans include
the establishment of close interaction of parties in the post-Soviet
space," Mironov said.

The Armenian left party Dashnaktsutyun is 117 years old and is
represented by 11 deputies in the country’s parliament and four
ministers in the Armenian government. It is also the only party in
the CIS space that has a full-fledged membership in the Socialist
International.

Last weekend, Just Russia submitted an official application for
joining this organisation. Representative of the Armenian party,
vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Vaan Ovanesian stressed that
his party will support this initiative.

"The world socialist movement is incomplete without Russia," he is
certain. Ovanesian recalled that some Russian parties, including
Yabloko, in their time had made attempts to join the Socialist
International, however, these attempts were not crowned with success.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress