Yesterday RA Presidnet Serzh Sargsyan made a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where among other matters he spoke about the government-opposition relations in Armenia. As it was expected he didn’t concretize anything and didn’t bring up the name of the ANC but in general formulations spoke about its importance. “The Armenian government has profoundly believed in and pursued the aim of sustaining progress along the democratic path. No doubt has ever been cast on Armenia’s democratic future, even in the direst moments of the domestic political crisis. This very conviction has also underpinned the logic of the measures taken in the last three years, especially in recent months, with a view to promoting a healthy political environment in our country. This determination also lies at the heart of the comprehensive and continuous reform of all the structures aimed at further consolidation of democracy in Armenia. We learn to listen to and respect each other’s views. We learn and gradually adopt the understanding that the government and the opposition are not enemies. Strength is not best demonstrated by attempting to eliminate the other side. We learn tolerance and shape a culture of dialogue. We learn not to reciprocate insults, and we learn to consult a wider circle of stakeholders on key issues. We learn to honor and appreciate the accomplishments of former leaders. We learn not to shun away from hearing constructive criticism and reviewing our decisions. We learn to live by another set of rules. We learn as a society. In this Assembly, for you as representatives of countries that have deeply-rooted democratic traditions, my words may appear self-evident. However, I would like to assure you that this process is crucial. We have to graduate from it, and doing so requires an enormous effort and perseverance. We are ready for it. We will not hesitate to use every opportunity to take a step in this direction or make our message clear,” mentioned Serzh Sargsyan. The ANC has not responded in a civilized respond in this regard so far.
