make preferableIt is a great honor for me to be on an official visit to Poland, there has not been a high-level visit to Poland for quite a long time, and I think this visit heralds and records a new stage in our bilateral relations. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in his speech today in Poland during his joint statement with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“But for me, Mr. Tusk, it is a special honor to receive an invitation from you and to receive such a warm welcome from you.
Today we meet with you as the Prime Minister of Poland, but Armenia has very vivid memories of you and highly appreciates your activities as President of the EU Council. Armenia has always felt your support on the path of democratic reforms. Also, my personal experience during that time has created a very large reserve of trust, and I want to thank you for that, as well as for the support that Poland provides to the Republic of Armenia in various directions and areas, including within the EU. We have felt that support,” added the Armenian PM.
Also, Pashinyan highlighted the Polish premier’s assessments of the law adopted in Armenia last year on launching the EU accession process.
“The encouraging words that you said really give us new confidence to continue the path of democratic reforms more confidently, in which our primary task is to make Armenia a country in line with EU standards.
I will not hide and you know this, of course, not by hearing, that democratic reforms are a very complex process, they bring with them challenges, doubts, accusations, and especially in today’s world it is sometimes accepted or even attempted to create the impression that a democratic country means being a weak country, that a democratic country means not being able to ensure and protect its own security.
I think that Poland in this regard is a very, very bright example of how democracy can be combined with a strong security system, a strong economy and, of course, a strong partnership in the international arena.
In this regard, I am happy to note that our traditional historical ties are being supplemented by our agenda of democratic reforms, and I must state that we highly appreciate Poland’s support for Armenia’s democratic reforms and, of course, the peace process that is taking place in our region,” the Armenian premier stated.
Pashinyan noted that when Armenia had just announced the path to adopting a peace strategy and he was presenting his vision of the peace process in the Armenian National Assembly, one of the opposition MPs responded that, “You talk about the South Caucasus as if you were talking about Europe.”
“My response was the following: I said, are we convinced that we know the history of Europe well? Europe is an example for us in that regard, and to be honest, it is also an example of Europe’s very complex, very brutal history in the peace process that has ultimately led us to the conviction that, as you mentioned, peace is truly the most important thing.
There are always arguments against peace, but it is very important to have and be able to rely on arguments that demonstrate the inalienability of peace, democracy, and freedom.
The path of freedom that Poland has taken and this process of building a democratic society is, of course, exemplary for us.
I look forward to seeing you at the Yerevan summit of the European Political Community in May,” the Armenian PM emphasized.
