July 1, 2024 - The South Caucasus News

Pashinyan on democracy in Armenia

“Democracy for Armenia is a strategy, not a given born out of circumstances,” stated prime minister Nikol Pashinyan during the “Armenian Democratic Forum.” He assured that his government would continue its strategic course of democratizing the country.

In her speech, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien highly praised the “democratic changes and reforms” that have taken place in Armenia in recent years. Representatives of civil society took the opportunity to ask the prime minister for his opinion on their proposal to hold a referendum on joining the European Union.

Pashinyan responded that he is aware of the people’s opinion. He reminded them that he stated in the European Parliament last year that Armenia is ready to be as close to the EU as the Union deems possible:

“If I thought the people of Armenia did not share this idea, I would not have made such a statement. The main problem with holding a referendum is that I don’t have an answer to the question of whether the EU is ready to accept us. If we hold a referendum, we must run a campaign. In such a case, people will ask us questions: ‘How, when, does the EU want this?’ People will ask if the EU is ready to accept us. I can’t answer that question because processes within the EU are happening that at least raise questions related to election outcomes. And we have already declared our political will at the highest level.”

Forum: “An opportunity to discuss challenges” arising since the 2018 Revolution

As the Armenian prime minister stated, the forum is an excellent opportunity to talk about the progress of democratic reforms implemented in Armenia since the 2018 revolution and to discuss the challenges that have arisen. He emphasized that many changes have taken place in the country over the past 7-8 years:

“For example, expressions like ‘election fraud’ or ‘election result falsification’ have now become a thing of the past. If you talk to Armenian citizens about election result falsification today, they won’t understand what you’re referring to.”

According to Pashinyan, pressure on freedom of speech and the press are also “issues left in the past.”

After listing these achievements, the prime minister acknowledged that there is still work to be done in strengthening democracy. Specifically, he spoke about the “insufficiently politicized” local government elections, the inadmissibility of the use of force by law enforcement officers, and the need for more effective protection of human rights.

“Armenia’s foreign policy should be decided by referendum.” Opinion from Yerevan

The leader of the “Republic” party, Aram Sargsyan, presented his proposal to change the course of foreign policy to Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan. According to Sargsyan, Pashinyan “agreed with some points and disagreed with others”

“The international community perceives Armenia as part of global democracy”

The prime minister considers it an achievement that the international community increasingly perceives Armenia as “part of global democracy.”

In his view, democracy enhances the state’s resilience to various challenges. He stated that it is thanks to democracy that Armenia has been able to survive quite difficult times and overcome many problems:

“If we were not a democratic country, I assure you, we would not have an independent state today. We must also acknowledge the following: what could be achieved through political will has already happened and concluded. Now, we need institutional solutions.“

“Yerevan сould gain more”: On military contracts with France

According to political analyst Robert Ghevondyan, deepening defense cooperation with France does not imply dependence on Paris, as was the case with Moscow

U.S. Ambassador: “Despite difficulties, Armenia remains committed to democracy”

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien highly praised the support for democratic ideals in the country, especially highlighting prime minister Pashinyan’s role in the democratization of society. Kristina Kvien recalled the challenges Armenia has faced in recent years, such as military incidents at the border and the influx of over 100,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Ambassador values that, despite these challenges, Armenia remains committed to democratic values:

“The United States is proud to support Armenia in all this, as well as in the fields of energy, trade, and other areas.”

She also spoke about the U.S. intention to continue strategic dialogue with Armenia and transform it into a strategic partnership, which she believes will strengthen Armenia’s sovereignty.

“As Mr. Blinken said, democracy is the only effective tool for realizing human potential. Therefore, the U.S. supports Armenia in fighting corruption, implementing police reforms, and holding free and fair elections,” stated Kristina Kvien.

“Armenia – a potential candidate for EU membership.” Opinion from Yerevan

Political scientist Robert Gevondyan on Armenia’s chances of joining the EU, the challenges ahead, and why the authorities are hesitant to submit a membership application

On July 1, Levan Tsutskiridze announced the formation of a new political party, “Freedom Square.” Its lineup will be officially presented this evening in Tbilisi.

Tsutskiridze, who previously served as the Executive Director of the Eastern European Centre for Multiparty Democracy/EECMD, was a visible figure during the recent protest rallies against the “foreign agents’ law.” He organized a series of public debates on this and other topics in Georgia’s provinces. EECMD Georgia has also worked extensively to build the institutional capacities of the Georgian political parties.

The party manifesto pledges it to be an open, democratic platform for “protecting Georgia’s national interests and achieving Georgia’s historic goal.” According to the manifesto, the party will unify “patriotic, professional and honest citizens for freedom and democracy.” It aims to protect Georgia from falling under Russian influence, defeat the Georgian Dream through elections, establish a functioning democracy, and achieve EU membership.

“We believe that the foundation of peace is justice and the most just system of government is democracy. We believe that EU membership is the best mechanism for fulfilling the historical aspirations and goals of our country, a guarantee of democratic, stable, and peaceful development of Georgia. We have a clear vision of how to get to the elections, how to protect our votes, and how to move forward after the elections – by preserving the national identity and culture, developing the economy, healthcare, culture, and education, and effectively protecting the unique nature and environment,” – reads the manifesto.

The party says it will cooperate with civil society groups, political parties, and citizens who share its values, approaches, and goals. “Our main power is knowledge. We reject and distance ourselves from violence. We use only peaceful and constitutional forms of struggle,” concludes the manifesto.

Also Read: