Armenia is a country of freedom of speech and free media - president

YEREVAN, March 17. / ARKA /. Addressing the participants of the opening meeting of the fourth ordinary session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Yerevan today president Serzh Sargsyan said by building on shared values Armenia is committed to the development of cooperation with the European Union directed at continued improvement of the democratic institutions and judiciary system, good governance, fight against corruption, consolidation of civil society, further improvement of the business environment for the expansion of trade and investment, continued implementation of mobility and partnership and expansion of the sectoral cooperation.

'We attach great importance to the steps to secure people to people contacts and free movement with the EU. We also anticipate support of the parliamentarians in the forthcoming launching of the dialogue with the EU for a visa-free regime to be established for our citizens,' he said.

'We are convinced that by joining efforts we will be able to arrive at joint approaches based on opportunities instead of incompatibilities, and thus secure for our citizens an opportunity to take best advantage of various integration formats, which in its turn will consolidate cooperation and let us avoid new confrontations on the European continent.

We build upon the premise that it is possible to accommodate both the Armenia’s membership to the Eurasian Economic Union, with all commitments stemming thereof, and the European Union’s deep and comprehensive agenda. Moreover, we will attempt to explore compatible middle ground through establishment of close ties between the various integration processes, and thus contribute to the consolidation of shared pan-European values free of contradictions and dividing lines.'

Last Saturday Serzh Sargsyan approved the constitutional reform concept that will make Armenia a parliamentary republic. Now the commission has ten months for drafting the amendments and submitting them to the head of state. 

Last April 10, Sargsyan said he would never seek a new presidential term in office, saying also if the country shifts to a parliamentary republic he would not claim for the post of prime minister that will have much broader powers than the president. –0--