ArmInfo. Non-violent transfer of power in Armenia testifies to the existence of a high level of development of political culture. On June 27 at the plenary session of the Euronest PA, the chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, the head of the Armenian delegation in the structure Armen Ashotyan stated.
According to the press service of the Parliament, Ashotyan also stressed that all the parties involved in the process made considerable efforts to avoid clashes.
"The new government of Armenia is the result of the choice of a legitimate parliament, which is an extremely important constitutional base in terms of further democratic development of the RA," Ashotyan said.
"When interacting with the new government, it is very important to eradicate intolerance, to encourage political pluralism of opinions, to guarantee freedom of the press, to respect the rights of free expression, to exclude political prosecution," he said.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on External Relations also touched upon the process of amendments to the Electoral Code. In this context, he stressed the importance of carrying out electoral reforms with political consensus, involving the public and solely on the basis of international principles, in particular the proposals of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR, highlighting the establishment of logical time frames for holding elections.
Referring to the RA-EU Comprehensive and Expanded Partnership Agreement, Ashotyan stressed the importance of early ratification of the document in the parliaments of the EU member states - before the elections of the European Parliament in 2019.
In the process of rapprochement of relations with the EU, Ashotyan stressed the importance of a more meaningful application of the principle "more for more" - with emphasis on cooperation and assistance in political and other spheres based on ideological values.
"In the South Caucasus, no conflict can have a military solution," Ashotyan said, while discussing the importance of peace and stability in the region. The head of the Armenian delegation also noted that the solution of the Artsakh conflict should be based on the principles of self-determination of peoples, territorial integrity and the exclusion of force or threat of force.
In conclusion, Ashotyan expressed hope that the Eastern Partnership region will in future become the cradle of peace and cooperation.