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EMI Yerevan Congress - Fostering Civil Society's role for further
European integration in the Eastern Partnership countries
(Noyan Tapan - 23.10.2011)
On 20-21 October 2011, 150 civil society delegates, high level experts
and decision makers gathered at a Congress organised by the European
Movement International (EMI) in cooperation with its National Council
of the European Movement Armenia in Yerevan to discuss the theme
"Fostering Civil Society's role for further European integration in
the Eastern Partnership countries".
Pat Cox, EMI President, noted that "our values are our shared beliefs
in a pluralist democracy, in multi-party systems, based on free, open
and fair elections; in the rule of law with a separation of powers
between the executive and the judicial branches of government; in
respect for individual human rights and the dignity of the person and
in the classic freedoms of expression, association and religion".
He continued that "our identity as Europeans matters to us wherever we
come from and to be European together does not require us to be less
of who we are but ideally permits us to be more of who we wish to be.
Respect for diversity is an important aspect of contemporary European
values. So too is solidarity between the richer and the poorer within
Europe and globally between the North and the South".
Mr. Cox stressed that "the Yerevan Congress hopefully will encourage
civil society deepen its network and roots encouraging it to educate,
to motivate and to advocate.. Our congress reminds us also that
integrating Europe is not just a top down elite project but rather
must be legitimized and built on consent from the bottom up".
He underlined that "the European Movement is politically active but is
not politically partisan, not party political. It is necessary to
understand this distinction as it is not the role of civil society
organisations to be political parties but rather they should play a
different and complementary role to representative democracy. Moreover
Civil Society needs a system of good governance, one that permits the
ability to rotate and to renew its leadership. In order to be able to
assure such minimum standards funding has to be made available to
guarantee sustainability but without so many strings attached that it
compromises autonomy".
With regards to the free movement of people and the Visa Question,
Naira Zohrabyan, Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the
National Assembly of Aremenia, said that "Armenia is ready to conclude
visa agreements with several states and that in the framework of the
visa facilitation process 16 professional groups have been allocated".
She underlined that of course some security problems remain and that
for the process of European integration and migration those problems
would need to be solved. Ms Zohrabyan was nonetheless hopeful that
given the current cooperation process between the European Union and
Armenia future and current challenges will be managed.
Zdzislaw Raczynsiki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Armenia,
referred to the fact that "Poles have a long history in striving for
their freedom and rights. One of the most memorable moments in
Poland's history was written by Solidarnosc. Solidar means one
together with the other never one against the other. This is what the
Eastern Partnership and the Civil Society is about. This is the very
idea that stands behind the European integration". He continued that
"the fruitful discussions and the exchange of opinions during this
congress have given us new incentives for cooperation and will
stimulate greater solidarity".
Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia, welcomed the Yerevan Congress in Armenia as a step to
strengthen Civil Society. He said that "Armenia was the first Eastern
Partnership country to join the European Movement.. Recently an
association agreement was launched between Europe and Armenia..
Armenia is ready to embrace the human rights and democracy agenda. He
pointed out that the National Assembly has adopted a new code for the
elections in conformity with democratic standards soon to enter
force". He promised that Armenia will seek to deliver good results and
that he expects Armenia to participate more fully in the European
integration process.
President Pat Cox concluded that "the European Movement International
Eastern Partnership which has been born here in Yerevan over the last
few days provides us with a well of good practice from which we can
draw together inspiration and motivation and develop our capacity to
act".
During the two day programme the participants had the possibility to
share best practice and work on a political strategy aimed at
providing recommendations on the further development of regional civil
society dialogue. The strategy will be published on the EMI website
reflecting the weekend's unprecedented exercise in cooperation in the
history of the post-soviet states of the region.
President
European Movement in Armenia
European integration in the Eastern Partnership countries
(Noyan Tapan - 23.10.2011)
On 20-21 October 2011, 150 civil society delegates, high level experts
and decision makers gathered at a Congress organised by the European
Movement International (EMI) in cooperation with its National Council
of the European Movement Armenia in Yerevan to discuss the theme
"Fostering Civil Society's role for further European integration in
the Eastern Partnership countries".
Pat Cox, EMI President, noted that "our values are our shared beliefs
in a pluralist democracy, in multi-party systems, based on free, open
and fair elections; in the rule of law with a separation of powers
between the executive and the judicial branches of government; in
respect for individual human rights and the dignity of the person and
in the classic freedoms of expression, association and religion".
He continued that "our identity as Europeans matters to us wherever we
come from and to be European together does not require us to be less
of who we are but ideally permits us to be more of who we wish to be.
Respect for diversity is an important aspect of contemporary European
values. So too is solidarity between the richer and the poorer within
Europe and globally between the North and the South".
Mr. Cox stressed that "the Yerevan Congress hopefully will encourage
civil society deepen its network and roots encouraging it to educate,
to motivate and to advocate.. Our congress reminds us also that
integrating Europe is not just a top down elite project but rather
must be legitimized and built on consent from the bottom up".
He underlined that "the European Movement is politically active but is
not politically partisan, not party political. It is necessary to
understand this distinction as it is not the role of civil society
organisations to be political parties but rather they should play a
different and complementary role to representative democracy. Moreover
Civil Society needs a system of good governance, one that permits the
ability to rotate and to renew its leadership. In order to be able to
assure such minimum standards funding has to be made available to
guarantee sustainability but without so many strings attached that it
compromises autonomy".
With regards to the free movement of people and the Visa Question,
Naira Zohrabyan, Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the
National Assembly of Aremenia, said that "Armenia is ready to conclude
visa agreements with several states and that in the framework of the
visa facilitation process 16 professional groups have been allocated".
She underlined that of course some security problems remain and that
for the process of European integration and migration those problems
would need to be solved. Ms Zohrabyan was nonetheless hopeful that
given the current cooperation process between the European Union and
Armenia future and current challenges will be managed.
Zdzislaw Raczynsiki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Armenia,
referred to the fact that "Poles have a long history in striving for
their freedom and rights. One of the most memorable moments in
Poland's history was written by Solidarnosc. Solidar means one
together with the other never one against the other. This is what the
Eastern Partnership and the Civil Society is about. This is the very
idea that stands behind the European integration". He continued that
"the fruitful discussions and the exchange of opinions during this
congress have given us new incentives for cooperation and will
stimulate greater solidarity".
Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Armenia, welcomed the Yerevan Congress in Armenia as a step to
strengthen Civil Society. He said that "Armenia was the first Eastern
Partnership country to join the European Movement.. Recently an
association agreement was launched between Europe and Armenia..
Armenia is ready to embrace the human rights and democracy agenda. He
pointed out that the National Assembly has adopted a new code for the
elections in conformity with democratic standards soon to enter
force". He promised that Armenia will seek to deliver good results and
that he expects Armenia to participate more fully in the European
integration process.
President Pat Cox concluded that "the European Movement International
Eastern Partnership which has been born here in Yerevan over the last
few days provides us with a well of good practice from which we can
draw together inspiration and motivation and develop our capacity to
act".
During the two day programme the participants had the possibility to
share best practice and work on a political strategy aimed at
providing recommendations on the further development of regional civil
society dialogue. The strategy will be published on the EMI website
reflecting the weekend's unprecedented exercise in cooperation in the
history of the post-soviet states of the region.
President
European Movement in Armenia