YEREVAN. – National Assembly (NA) Speaker Galust Sahakyan on Wednesday received Nicolas Briec, Secretary of the External Relations of the European People’s Party (EPP), and Beatriz de Anta de Benito, Political Adviser.

Sahakyan noted that the EPP membership of the three parties of Armenia—the ruling Republican Party (RPA), the opposition Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) and Heritage Parties—is important in terms of deepening the Armenia-European Union (EU) cooperation, spreading of the European political culture, and strengthening of Pan-European system of values value.

He expressed confidence that in the European Parliament elections, which will be held in May, the EPP will again enjoy the Europeans’ high trust and continue to be the motivation force of Europe’s progress, and the propagator and performer of reforms. In the NA leader’s words, the European Union is one of the important partners of Armenia, and the EU-Armenia cooperation is, first and foremost, based on a shared system of values.

“Armenia will continue its policy aimed at the combination and harmonization of interests,” Sahakyan said.

He also has noted that the interparliamentary assemblies serve also as an important part of interparty cooperation, and within that framework, the cooperation between the EPP member countries will boost the interparty cooperation and create a coordinated Pan-European network of the EPP united positions and viewpoints on political issues.

Thanking for the reception, Briec highlighted the further deepening of cooperation noting that it is based on the shared values and the general Christian legacy. In his conviction, the National Assembly of Armenia has a big role in the development of the EU-Armenia relations, and the development of cooperation will promote the deepening of the Armenia-EU cooperation of the national parliaments of the EU member countries and the European Parliament.

The interlocutors underscored the multilateral cooperation in the Eastern Partnership in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

The parties also touched upon the concept of Armenia’s constitutional amendments, and several other matters of bilateral interest.