In PACE from All Perspectives Armenia Showed that It Succeeded: Arpine Hovhannisyan (EXCLUSIVE)

• 01.25.2018, 16:10
•  Europe,  Armenia,  Interview

 

“Armedia” IAA presents an exclusive interview with the head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, the RA National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Arpine Hovhannisyan on the works of the PACE winter session.

 

- Mrs. Hovhannisyan, yesterday, on January 24, you were elected the Vice President of the PACE EPP political group, and on this occasion we congratulate you. What opportunities can your position open for our delegation, Armenia and in general in terms of presenting the Armenian interests?

- As for my being elected as Vice President of the EPP political group, first of all, I would like to thank you for your congratulations. I think in general, any success of the Armenian delegation in any structure of the Parliamentary Assembly can have an indirect impact on Armenia's interests. Naturally, this means that there is an appreciation and this will certainly have its effect on contacts with different delegates and in the future on Armenia's interests.

 

- Yesterday at the plenary session of the PACE winter session the President of Armenia made a speech, which was followed by a question-and-answer session. What were the PACE parliamentarians' reactions to the various emphasis made by the President?

- The reactions of the parliamentarians to the President's speech and and the question-and-answer session are very positive, as in essence the political priorities of Armenia, all the important issues on the agenda of Armenia, the position of the President on Karabakh conflict, also from the perspective of a person, who has an immediate involvement, was presented.

From all perspectives, Armenia showed that it succeeded. This refers to the successful experience of foreign policy agenda diversification, in particular, the existence of parallel realities - the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the fight against corruption, judicial reforms, the Armenian-Turkish protocols and so on.

 

- In general, how would you assess the work of the PACE winter session and the activities of our delegation?

- Many issues are being discussed, many questions are being raised by different delegates in relation to various issues.

I appreciate the work of our delegation as a whole and I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues for their productive work.