NA SPEAKER TIGRAN TOROSYAN MET WITH EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
armradio.am
19.12.2007 16:26
December 19 Speaker of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan received
the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Peter
Semneby, who arrived in Armenia to participate in the parliamentary
hearings on Armenian-Turkish relations.
NA Speaker Tigran Torosyan welcomed Mr. Semneby’s visit to Armenia,
saying it’s a proof of EU’s attention towards issues of the region.
Mr. Torosyan highly assessed the European Union’s role in the region,
noting that the values and principles within the framework of which
the EU acts, are pursued by the region in general and Armenia, in
particular. The Armenian Parliament Speaker turned to the amendment
of the Electoral Code and the reforms in the judicial-legal field,
which are targeted at creating legal bases for holding the presidential
elections in accordance with democratic standards.
EU Special Representative Peter Semneby also confirmed the EU’s
interest in regional issues and improvement of Armenian-Turkish
relations. According to his assessment, the European Union wishes to
see more predictable relations and considers that European integration
will provide a greater opportunity for that. The EU is interested in
the development of relations between Armenia and Turkey.
In this regard Tigran Torosyan stressed the importance of discussing
the issue in European structures on the level of European values and
European integration, since in case of existence of certain standards
no party will be able to blame European structures for being biased.
The Parliament Speaker said the Parliaments of the two countries can
take steps encouraging the establishment of cooperation. R. Torosyan
emphasized the importance of PACE, in the framework of which the
delegations of Armenia and Turkey meet four times a year to work
together in Commissions and at plenary sessions