YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE Arpine Hovhannisyan gave a speech on behalf of EPP Group and saluted the initiative to organize the 4th congress of the Heads of State of the Council of Europe member states.

“Today it is conditioned by strict necessity. As the speaker notes rightly, the terrorist attacks, the rise in Euro-separatism, nationalism, populism, xenophobia, the existence of open and frozen conflicts, annexations and the blockade of neighbors, as well as other evils threaten our unity, the unity of supra-national organization. Apart from those external threats, unfortunately, we encounter also with internal challenges. I believe that in a situation when terror acts become a usual thing, when we are surrounded by the atmosphere of hatred and intolerance, we cannot allow internal confrontations inside our Assembly”, ARMENPRESS reports Hovhannisyan said, adding that “we should remind ourselves of our fundamental values”, and reasons and goals of the establishment of the organization.

“The 4th congress can become a good platform for reminding all of us that we, becoming member of this highly reputable institution, have assumed responsibilities and those responsibilities must remain unchanged and we just have no right to step back from them” Hovhannisyan said, noting that cooperation with the EU is an important precondition for success.

“During the previous congress in 2005 all the speakers voiced with satisfaction about the fact that our continent lives one of its best periods of the history, since Europe has never been so firm, safe, so near to being united – something that was a subject for admiration throughout the world. Can we say the same today? I hope we will be able. For that goal we have to consolidate around our values – human rights, parliamentary democracy and rule of law. The congress will give an opportunity to look back to our achievements and triumphs and outline our next steps”, the Vice President of the Armenian parliament said.