YEREVAN. – Political autumn is upon us and it will be followed by the presidential elections. The last local government elections proved that the ruling Republican Party (RPA) is still the most influential and best-rated political force, and under the conditions when the competition was fierce, RPA member and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said during a press conference on Tuesday.      

With respect to Armenia’s foreign political challenges, Sharmazanov noted that, in his most recent interview, President Serzh Sargsyan pointed to three important signals: “[First,] Azerbaijan is arming itself and this is destabilizing and dangerous for regional peace. Second, Armenia stands for peaceful settlement of the [Nagorno-Karabakh (NK)] issue. And third, NK’s self-determination has no alternative, and the international community must bridle Azerbaijan’s bellicose statements,” Eduard Sharmazanov added.