“We are in our common house”

Stated the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek yesterday during a press conference held in the NA

 “You are an important, decisive neighbor for the European Union, especially for the South Caucasus region,” said the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, who is presently in Yerevan, yesterday at his press conference. “I want to recall Charles Aznavour’s words, “After winter the tree of life will grow for you again, Armenia”, these are very important words. We are establishing a partnership, creating a partnership between us thanks to the openness of Armenia.” According to the European official, “Armenia is on the road of reforms, that is Armenia’s choice, the choice of your people, cabinet, president and parliament. I think, if we want to establish prosperity for our citizens, the best way is democracy, human rights, free market economy. This is the experience of the EU, as well as my own country.” Yesterday the President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek repeated his idea voiced at an interview with Azerbaijani APA agency, “The European Union does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh, as an independent unit. On the other hand, we must not forget about the needs of ordinary people, notwithstanding their place of inhabitance.” He also said that if there is a desire “to find a comprehensive solution (he certainly means the Nagorno-Karabakh issue – M.Y.), we have to prepare the community for that, also the community of Nagorno-Karabakh. That does not have to make you anxious, because the most important, decisive thing for us is to involve public opinion.” Jerzy Buzek probably in order not to hurt either Azerbaijan or Armenia, before his visit gave an interview also to Armenian “MediaMax” agency and said, “I am concerned that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the main threat to regional security and stability. All parties should seek for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as soon as possible on the basis of international law. Real efforts are needed to pave the way for a lasting peace and it should be avoided by both sides\’ provocative policies and rhetoric, inflammatory statements and manipulation of history.” We, the fourth power of the people that bears Democratic values, the journalists that gathered in the National Assembly did not object to some of the statements (not recognizing the NKR as an independent unit) of the European official, but silently listened and even addressed a few questions to the President of the European Parliament. The president of our country stated in advance that it would be right to address questions only to our guest, because there would be plenty opportunities to meet him in the future.

 Yesterday Jerzy Buzek answering a question related to March 1, said that he had discussed the issue both with the president of the country and with the speaker of the parliament noting that March 1 is “an open wound”. The president of the European Parliament said, “Two the most important figures have assured me that the investigation is conducted in order the issue is solved. Your government is ready to change many things in your country, let us believe in that commencement, it greatly correspondents to our, the European Union’s expectations, because the systems must be compatible with each other, in order to cooperate. And from this perspective you are on the right road.”

Answering the question of Radio Liberty that refers to the people who were convicted after March 1, Jerzy Buzek said, “The release of a few people recently was a promising decision and I was assured that a fair and appropriate investigation of all cases was being conducted.” Yesterday Jerzy Buzek had a Meeting with Serzh Sargsyan, as well as with the first president, the leader of the Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrossian. Before that, Jerzy Buzek visited the Tsitsernakaberd memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Today the President of the European Parliament is visiting Georgia, and will be in Baku on May 20.

P.S. Yesterday Radio Liberty expressed interest about what was the state of the request made by the Speaker of the NA to amnesty Sasun Mikayelyan, in response Hovik Abrahamyan said, “Firstly I do not agree that there are political prisoners in Armenia, and I want to remind you that that was the offer of our coalition partners, the RPA, the PAP and the RLP, I addressed the letter to the President of the RA Serzh Sargsyan, we had a conversation after that and the President said that they had taken that issue into consideration. And I hope and that is my personal opinion that the issue will soon reach a positive solution.”