ARTUR BAGHDASSARYAN: DEMOCRACY RATHER RULE THAN EXCEPTION

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chairman of the Armenian Parliament Artur Baghdassaryan met with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers AGO Monitoring Group headed by Roland Wegener, reported the Press Service of the National Assembly of Armenia. Touching upon the process of constitutional reforms in Armenia, the parties noted that durable discussions resulted in finding the answers to all difficult questions. Wegener noted the importance of passing the bill of constitutional reforms in the second reading in compliance with the schedule, as well as spreading propaganda. In his opinion one of the important outcomes achieved during the debate over the constitutional reforms is the agreement of the opposition to participate in further debate and its full return to the legislative activities of the Parliament. In his turn Artur Baghdassaryan remarked that Armenia considers strengthening democracy and forming legislation meeting European standards necessary. In his words, the country has made serious steps to that end. The adoption of the Electoral Code and the Bill on holding rallies, processions, meetings as well as the constitutional reforms evidence it. «Democracy is rather a rule than an exception,» Artur Baghdassaryan noted, adding one should start with the organic law. Regional problems, agreement on reforming the South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative in a Parliamentary Assembly, whose activities will open new opportunities for regional development were also discussed in the course of the meeting.