We also see parliamentary diplomacy as an opportunity to contribute to a wider European dialogue based on our common values

The RA NA delegation is taking part in the Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) taking place in Strasbourg. The member of the RA NA delegation to PACE Sona Ghazaryan gave a speech in the Session.

The MP in her speech said:

“Madam President, dear colleagues,

would like to thank the rapporteur and the Rules, Ethics and Immunities Committee for the work behind this report.

The restructuring of our Rules of Procedure may appear, at first sight, to be a technical exercise. But clear rules are an essential part of the credibility and effectiveness of any parliamentary institution.

It is important to underline what this reform is - and what it is not.

It is not an attempt to redefine the substance of the Assembly’s external relations. Rather, it is an effort to bring greater clarity, coherence and accessibility to the framework through which these relations are conducted.

Our external and inter-parliamentary relations already serve an important purpose: promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, strengthening parliamentary institutions and developing parliamentary diplomacy.

The challenge is to ensure that the rules governing this work are sufficiently clear to support these objectives.

In particular, a well-structured framework can help us better understand the respective roles of the President, the Bureau, committees and other actors involved in the Assembly’s external engagement. It can also make our procedures easier to follow for our partners.

For me, this is particularly, important because parliamentary diplomacy depends not only on formal agreements. It also depends on the ability to maintain dialogue, exchange experience and build trust.

And this is where clarity of procedure can make a real difference.

For Armenia, as a member of the Council of Europe, meaningful inter-parliamentary cooperation remains an important channel for sharing experience and strengthening democratic institutions. We also see parliamentary diplomacy as an opportunity to contribute to a wider European dialogue based on our common values.

So, I welcome this follow-up to the restructuring of our Rules of Procedure.

A good set of rules should do more than tell us what we may or may not do.

It should help us do our work better.

And if clearer rules allow us to conduct our external and inter-parliamentary relations with greater coherence, transparency and effectiveness, then this reform will have achieved its purpose.

Thank you.”