The RA NA delegation takes part in the second part ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) started in Strasbourg led by the Vice President of the National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan.
The member of the RA NA delegation Hripsime Grigoryan gave a speech in the session. The MP noted:
“Madam President,
Distinguished colleagues,
Speaking here today, I do so not only as a Member of Parliament, but as a representative of a society that, in recent years, has made a very conscious and, at times, difficult choice - to place democracy and peace at the centre of its statehood.
Since 2018, Armenia’s democratic path has not been linear, nor has it been easy.
It has been tested - by war, by regional instability, and by internal pressures. And yet, it has endured and evolved. Today, Armenia is recognised by leading international indices as a country with a high
level of media freedom and freedom of expression. This is not an abstract achievement; it reflects a lived reality where public debate is vibrant, critical, and, at times, uncomfortable – but free.
This is particularly important in a broader European context, where we observe increasingly complex electoral dynamics, including externally backed attempts of intervening in internal processes through hybrid tools. Unfortunately, Armenia is also facing similar challenges including organized disinformation campaigns, promoting agendas aligned with external interests. What is even more astonishing and painful at the same time, is that high ranking clergymen lead by the de-facto leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church are being instrumentalized and actively involved in serving interests of third countries against Armenia.
As the Parliamentary elections are approaching, more and more of concerning reports are coming from the law enforcement bodies about revealed attempts to channel significant financial resources into the country, with credible suspicions of their intended use in electoral manipulation by the opposition. There have also been documented cases, including recordings, indicating coordinated efforts of vote-buying schemes by opposition again. I mention this to underline a simple point: democracy in Armenia is not only declared - it is actively defended, and there is a clear political will and determination on the side of my government to defend our democracy.
In parallel, we are witnessing a historic transformation in our region. The establishment of peace
between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2025 has changed realities that seemed unchangeable for decades. For the first time since independence, more than two years passed without casualties on our borders. Communications are reopening, and the logic of confrontation is gradually being replaced by the logic of connectivity.
Yet, this progress unfolds in a fragile geopolitical environment. The recent events in neighbouring Iran and military actions in the wider region remind us how quickly stability can be challenged.
Distinguished colleagues, Armenia today stands at a crossroads - between past patterns and future possibilities. We have chosen peace over conflict, democracy over control, and dialogue over division.
And we are determined to continue on this path and highly appreciate the solidarity of all our partners, you dear colleagues, supporting our efforts.
Thank you.”
