ArmInfo. During the parliamentary elections in 2021, Armenia expressed the will of the  people, reaffirming its commitment to the course of reforms and  democracy, and for this purpose, Armenia needs a responsible,  independent, pluralistic, reliable media. On May 19, speaking  at the "Armenian Democracy" Forum, EU Ambassador to Armenia Ms.  Andrea Wiktorin stated this.

In this vein, she underlined that the EU defends the freedom and  pluralism of the media as the basis of modern democracy, which  provides an opportunity for open and free debate.  At the same time,  Ms. Wiktorin also pointed out that Armenia needs a strong civil  society, which is a key component of a democratic system. "The active  involvement of civil society in the development of policy and  governance reforms is important for Armenia in terms of achieving  political transformations," the Ambassador stressed.  However, as she  noted, Armenian civil society is being condemned. Activists and civil  society organizations that promote democratic values and human rights  have been the target of attack and condemnation.  <The Universal  Declaration of Human Rights is not selective. You cannot choose only  what you like. You must have all freedoms without prejudice and  restrictions, such as racial, national, social, religious, skin  color, and others. Therefore, we all should support the human rights  defenders who are active in this country. We should have  comprehensive approaches to the issue of ensuring human rights. We  have a need for a legal framework, for the application of the law.  Everyone is equal before the law," she said.  She also noted the  importance of compromises, public discussions, joint search for  peaceful solutions, excluding various slogans and the language of  aggression. <Democracy is a continuous process. Within the framework  of the CEPA (Partnership Agreement), the EU assists Armenia in  strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights in order to  create together a favorable, safe and peaceful environment for all  the inhabitants of Armenia>, she concluded.  It should be noted that  law enforcement officers did not let opposition MPs and journalists  into the "Armenian Democracy" forum . The parliamentarians said they  intended to present the real situation with democracy in the country  at the forum. After negotiations with law enforcement officers, the  latter managed to enter the hotel building, but they were forbidden  to enter the hall where the event itself was held