RA Prime Minister: The traditional friendship between the Armenian  and Italian peoples has created a solid foundation for development  cooperation between our countries

ArmInfo.The non-violent velvet revolution that took place in Armenia in April 2018 was a reflection of the hopes of the Armenian people, who rejected many  years of corruption and fraud in the country, establishing the rule  of law and law.

This was announced yesterday at the Milan International Institute of Political Science - ISPI think tank, said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.  "Taking responsibility for the  protest marches, I clearly realized that there has never been a more  promising and possibly more dangerous time in the history of the  third Armenian statehood. I clearly understood that I have no right  to be happy in thousands of women, men, youth and the old people who  followed me. We started our protest march from the second largest  city in Armenia, from Gyumri to the capital of Yerevan. As we  approached the capital, responsibility for every step increased at a  geometric rate. And we succeeded. The Armenian people turned out to  be He was strong when he rallied. Thanks to the velvet revolution, we  were able to return power to the people. Our next step was early  parliamentary elections. Last December we held parliamentary  elections, which our international partners called free, fair,  democratic and competitive. These were the first parliamentary  elections in our country, the official results of which were not  challenged by the Constitutional Court, and the first parliamentary  elections, the results of which were unanimously accepted by all  politically E forces and society as a whole ", - reminded Nikol  Pashinyan.

He insisted that people's expectations were too high. "There is no  doubt that democracy achieved an unprecedented victory in Armenia in  terms of values and national aspirations. Today, democracy has become  part of our identity. However, we recognize that democracy must be  strengthened institutionally so that it becomes irreversible. We need  to protect democracy from those who want revenge and a return to the  past. To this end, we have launched reforms aimed at ensuring the  rule of law, accountable governance and the protection of fundamental  rights and freedoms. Today we focus on institutional In this respect,  the judiciary is of paramount importance. It is well known that  without a truly independent judiciary and public trust in the  judiciary it is impossible to achieve full democracy and the rule of  law. But this trust must be earned. It has long been destroyed and  efforts are required to We are doing this with the help of our  international partners. In this context, I would like to emphasize  the role of the European Union, which has become Armenia's key  partner in institution building and the implementation of our reform  program. For this purpose, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership  Agreement between Armenia and the European Union is of particular  importance. It is noteworthy that the Agreement is a tool for  generating reforms, and its implementation implies qualitative  changes in many areas of our society, "said Nikol Pashinyan.  He also  emphasized that Italy is one of the historical bridges connecting  Armenia with Europe. Today, this bridge plays an important role in  expanding cooperation between Armenia and the European Union and in  strengthening political, economic and cultural ties. "We greatly  appreciate our friendly relations with Italy and intend to make every  effort to strengthen them and give them greater significance. Our  peoples have established close historical ties at a time when Armenia  and the Roman Empire were neighbors, and this is reflected on four  ancient maps on the walls Roman Forum: In the first century, Armenia  even declared itself a friend and ally of Rome. The close ties  between our ancient peoples are based on common values and common  Christian traditions, which are the cornerstones of our friendship.  It is very important that the relics of the First Catholicos of the  Armenian Apostolic Church are stored in the churches of San Gregorio  and Naples.One of the most important centers for promoting the  revival of Armenian culture in the modern era is St. Lazarus Island  in Venice, where the Congregation of the Mechitarists was founded  three centuries ago. it still remains one of the main centers of  Armenology, played an invaluable role in the enlightenment and  cultural development of the Armenian people. This is another pride  for Armenians and Italians. These facts can be continued  indefinitely. The traditional friendship between our peoples has  created a solid foundation for the development of cooperation between  our countries. Today we are determined to do everything possible to  further deepen our relations>, the head of the Armenian government  noted.

He also emphasized the need for trade and economic cooperation, which  is an important component in bilateral relations. "Italy is Armenia's  second largest trade and economic partner among EU countries. In the  first nine months of this year alone, trade between the two countries  increased by about 14%. A comprehensive and expanded partnership  between Armenia and the EU and Armenia's participation in the  Eurasian Economic Union create additional prospects for the  development of cooperation between our countries. The Armenian  community of Italy is undoubtedly another factor contributing to our  partnership.  We are grateful to the government of And Aliyah for the  care of the Armenian cultural heritage in Italy.  Finally, we are  grateful for the decision of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy to  recognize the Armenian Genocide in April this year.