Armenia will continue its policy of complementing and harmonizing interests – Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at EPP plenary session

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who was in Ireland on a working visit, has taken part in the European People’s Party’s plenary session, where he delivered a speech.

His full address is provided below:
Distinguished President Daul,

Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset I would like to join others and express our gratitude to the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Fine Gael party for the excellent organization of the Congress and warm hospitality extended to us.

Dear colleagues,

Today it is for the first time that an EPP Congress is being held without Wilfried Martens, our President of blessed memory. He made an exceptional contribution to the establishment and development of the EPP, Europe’s largest political family, and led it through the path of numerous victories it registered. I am confident that under the capable leadership of President Daul the EPP will continue pursuing the mission that stems from the Party’s founding principles.

The European Parliament election to be conducted in May will be an important stage in the Europe’s political life. I believe that the European People’s Party will anew gain high trust of the Europeans and remain the driving force of the European progress, the champion and carrier of the reforms. The EPP’s victory will allow renewed effort in building a peaceful and prosperous Europe to come true.

Mr President,

The European Union and Eastern Partnership face challenges. The Ukrainian events are a matter of serious concern to all of us. We regret profoundly that numerous human lives’ losses were registered in Kyiv. Under the existing circumstances it is necessary to take all possible measures in order to ease the tension and find reasonable solutions by the means of a dialogue.

As in the past we believe that expanding and deepening relations with a partner should not result in the emergence of new dividing lines. Armenia will continue its policy of complementing and harmonizing intrests.

We are grateful to the European Union for the decision it made in December 2013 to provide Armenia with an opportunity to benefit from the enhanced Generalised Scheme of Preferences.

Nevertheless, for the successful implementation of the Scheme there is an important issue awaiting solution, which is unmaking of the illegal blockade that the European Union’s Customs Union member Turkey imposed on Armenia. Nowadays, when humankind gets ready to mark the centennial of the World War I and the horror it unleashed, Turkey continues its policy of denial, attempts to bury the memory of more than one million victims of the Armenian Genocide and disregard demands of a nation that was deprived of its homeland, refuses to repent for what had been done and thus pursues a xhenophobic policy that at its roots is aimed at harming Armenia and Armenians.

Dear colleagues,

A key principle of the European set of values is not to remain silent, when there is an injustice, when there is a bigotry exposed, and especially when we witness manifestations of xhenophobia. “Never again!” has been our motto born out of calamity that two World Wars brought in. But there is only one way to make that motto come true: it is to remember, to condemn and to demand. It is incomprehensible and unacceptable to us, when any manifestations of fascism are being tolerated, when evident hate speech of the President of Azerbaijan, a Council of Europe member State, is pretended to go unnoticed. For the Eastern Partnership to work effectively we should employ straight and honest talk on the issues of reciprocal concern.

Mr President,

We appreciate the assistance that the European Union and its member States have been backing Armenia in its social-economic and institutional development, strengthening of our Government agencies, reform of the public sector, fight against corruption and reduction of poverty. About two weeks ago the National Security Council of Armenia approved an action plan for cooperation between Armenia and the EU in 2014 and 2015. We are committed to continue our efforts towards seeking effective cooperation mechanisms with the EU, which will both reflect the essence of the preceding discussions we had with the EU and are compatible with the other cooperation formats.

I thank you for your attention.