Dear President,
Dear Participants,
On behalf of the European People’s Party, of which I have the honor to serve as President, let me extend my warmest regards to the participants of this conference on the “European political landscape and Armenian parties”. We are very pleased that the Republican Party of Armenia has initiated such an important discussion, in connection with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the European People’s Party.
The EPP surely is a cornerstone of the European political landscape. We are after all the party of the Founding Fathers of the EU, and we contributed more than any other political force to the development of European integration. Our party has championed an ever-closer Union, contributed to the fall of Communism and supported the enlargement of the EU to include new Member States. Over time, it has become Europe’s largest political family. Today, we are proud to have the largest Group in the European Parliament, as well as the Presidency of both the European Council and the European Commission.
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But our presence goes well beyond the frontiers of the European Union. Thanks to a network of 75 member parties from 40 different countries, we have established close and fruitful relations with our neighbourhood. It was the EPP governments in Sweden and Poland which initiated the Eastern Partnership, and we are happy that it is an EPP commissioner, Johannes Hahn, who is currently in charge of Europe’s Neighbourhood Policy. We believe that strengthening the cooperation between the EU and the countries of the Eastern Partnership is beneficial for us all. For the EPP, it is important to further strengthen the ties between Armenia and the European Union, and we need to find new ways of cooperation. We all know about the difficult security situation in the region, and we need to work together to address it. We will always be at your side to defend your free and sovereign choice and to fight together for democracy and prosperity in your countries.
Armenia is of course an important partner for the EPP in this region. I visited your country last year, as my predecessor Wilfried Martens did many times, and I paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The EPP has always supported stronger ties between Armenia and the European Union, and we believe that we have to explore even further the possible scope of our future bilateral cooperation in areas such as good governance, rule of law, human rights, the role of civil society, fighting corruption, reforming the judiciary, implementing the mobility partnership and moving toward visa liberalisation.
Dear friends,
Today you will be discussing how belonging to a European political family can help Armenian parties. I believe that the EPP has been an example in that sense, providing its member parties in Armenia and in other countries of the region with a platform for dialogue and cooperation, where they can learn the rules of the democratic game, including internal party democracy, and how to comply with EU standards. Therefore, I would like to encourage you to talk about the importance of strengthening the cooperation between all political families for the good of the Armenian people. I reiterate the EPP’s support for our Armenian partners and encourage all of you present today to continue the reforms necessary for the development of the country and for its European path going forward: reforms with regard to the rule of law, an independent justice system and the fight against corruption.
I wish all participants a fruitful and interesting discussion.
Sincerely yours,
Joseph DAUL
EPP President