EASTERN PARTNERSHIP PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY TO CONSIST OF 120 DEPUTIES

NOYAN TAPAN
October 26, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. Between October 19 to 22, Chairwoman
of the RA National Assembly Standing Committee on European Integration
Naira Zohrabian participated in the starting conference on creation
of Eastern Partnership parliamentary format held in the capital city
of Sweden Stockholm.

The conference was convened on the initiative of presiding Sweden
and was held with participation of EU member states. Proposals of the
sides were presented at the conference, as well as the participants
told how they imagine the parliamentary format of partnership,
Euronest which can be a serious stimulus for solution of problems
regarding the main platforms established by Eastern Partnership,
as well as for solution of problems of political association and
economic integration of EU partner-states.

N. Zohrabian in her speech presented Armenian side’s proposals
mentioning that Armenia attaches importance to creation of a
parliamentary format of partnership which will give a possibility by
using flexible parliamentary instruments and parliamentary diplomacy
to contribute to partner countries’ European integration. Speaking
about cooperation between partner states, which is one of the main
components of Eastern Partnership, N. Zohrabian touched upon the policy
of reservations carried on by Azerbaijan, which essentially hinders
solution of priorities declared by the partnership. Touching upon
Armenian side’s considerations on Euronest she said that it will be
inadmissible for the Armenian side if Azerbaijan tries to turn the
Eastern Partnership parliamentary format into a format of solving
conflicts. She said that Azerbaijan’s continuing such a policy will
nonplus this very important initiative from the very first meeting.

In response to the speech of Azerbaijan’s Mili Majlis representative,
where falsehood and misinformation on Nagorno Karabakh was voiced, N.

Zohrabian sent a written application to the Chairman of the conference,
representative of Sweden Goran Lennmarker proposing drawing attention
of EU and EU partner-states to Azerbaijan’s destructive conduct
and calling the European Union for expressing exact attitude to
Azerbaijan’s non-constructive steps and statements.

During the conference it was decided in as short time constraints
as possible to sum up both the technical and content issues of the
Eastern Partnership parliamentary format.

According to a preliminary agreement, the Eastern Partnership
Parliamentary Assembly will consist of 120 deputies: 60 deputies
from EU member states and 10 deputies from each of partner states,
Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.

According to the RA NA Public Relations Department, during the visit
to Stockholm N. Zohrabian met with representatives of the Armenian
community, as well as with deputies of the Swedish parliament and
clarified the details of the Armenian-Turkish signed protocols and
last Armenian-Turkish developments.