On Tuesday 1 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called for dialogue in Armenia, when the special session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia earlier that day did not enable the election of a new prime minister.
The parliament refused to elect opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan to this post following the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan after several days of protest.
"The European Union continues to encourage all stakeholders, including civil society, to engage in a comprehensive dialogue, in view of the democratic formation of a new government in accordance with the Constitution and in the interest of all Armenians", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release. The spokesperson said it was "crucial " that all the parties involved, "including the law enforcement agencies and those exercising their right of freedom of assembly and expression, avoid confrontation and show restraint and responsibility, as has been the case in recent days".
According to the Armenian Constitution, a new session of the National Assembly must be called within seven days, in other words by 8 May, in order to elect a new prime minister.
Thousands of pro-Pashinyan protesters blocked the capital, Yerevan, on Wednesday 2 May. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)