Hovsep Khurshudyan: joining EU is responsibility of Armenian  citizens, since there will be no way back

ArmInfo. The idea of Armenia joining the European Union is becoming increasingly widespread among  the country's citizens. Chairman of the "Free Citizen" Civic Initiatives' Support Center NGO Hovsep Khurshudyan expresses a similar point of view.

Speaking on June 21 at parliamentary hearings on the initiative of  the "Platform of Democratic Forces" to join the European Union,  Khurshudyan noted that today it is not necessary to discuss whether  to join the EU, because it is more than obvious, but what Yerevan  will benefit from joining the European family and how it can be  achieved.

The platform proposes that the authorities hold a referendum on  joining the EU within 3-4 months. "This is a turnaround in our  history that we could not imagine 2-3 years ago. There have been  rapid changes not only in the world, but also in our consciousness,  and for this it is necessary to change the public discourse,"  Khurshudyan said, adding that joining the EU also implies a  responsibility that Armenian citizens should take, since there will  be no turning back. If the country's citizens say "yes" to joining  the EU in the referendum, there will be no need to accuse some  political forces against others. "Each citizen will have to bear  responsibility for the future of the country, which is what forced  the authors of the initiative to include this issue on the agenda. I  am sure that the public will evaluate it positively and say "yes" in  the referendum," Khurshudyan noted. 

A few days earlier, the Platform of Democratic Forces, whose members  are the "Republic" party (chairman - Aram Sargsyan), the  Rally For  The Republic Party (chairman Arman Babajanyan), the Christian  Democratic Party (chairman Levon Shirinyan) and the European Party  (chairman Tigran Khzmalyan), proposed that the country's authorities  hold a referendum on Armenia's membership in the European Union  within the next 4 months.