Armenia`s European orientation in line with democratic reforms agenda  - Alen Simonyan 

ArmInfo. Armenia's European orientation is a natural choice, as it corresponds to the state's democratic reform agenda. This was stated by the Chairman of the  National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan at the  opening of the session of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human  Rights held in Yerevan on December 9. 

According to him, quoted by the parliament's press service, Armenia,  with its past and present, is an integral part of European  civilization, based on a common system of values and a unique  historical and cultural heritage. The Council of Europe, the speaker  emphasized, is an important partner for Armenia in matters related to  strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law, in the  implementation of reforms in the country.

"The results of our joint efforts are obvious and irreversible. The  ongoing reforms in Armenia are also a pillar of security for us,  being directly related to our steps aimed at achieving peace in the  region. Lasting peace can be achieved through the development of a  sovereign, stable and democratic state, respect for human rights and  the fundamental principles of international law. Today, we all face  serious challenges in various parts of the world. Speaking about our  region, I must say that Armenia faces both security and humanitarian  issues. Unfortunately, after the Reykjavik summit, we again witnessed  violations of the principle of non-use of force and gross violations  of human rights," the head of the legislative body said.  He added  that Yerevan highly appreciates the reaction and actions of the  Council of Europe bodies aimed at addressing the needs of refugees  from Nagorno-Karabakh, international protection of internally  displaced populations, including within the framework of the Council  of Europe conventions. The issue of repatriation of Armenian  prisoners held in Azerbaijan continues to be in the spotlight of  European structures.

"Despite the existing problems, Armenia is making active efforts to  establish a stable and lasting peace in the region. In the context of  regulating relations with Azerbaijan, we have ratified the first  international legal document - the Regulation on the joint activities  of border delimitation commissions. Their activities are based on the  Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, which means that our borders,  established during the Soviet Union, are defined by this document. As  an important component of the peace agenda, Armenia has initiated the  Crossroads of Peace project, which is our roadmap for establishing  peace. The project is aimed at unblocking regional communications and  ensuring sustainable economic development based on the principles of  jurisdiction of countries, their sovereignty, reciprocity and  equality of the parties. I would like to express my gratitude to all  our partners from the Council of Europe member states, who  consistently support the establishment of peace in our region and the  protection of human rights," the speaker of the parliament concluded.