On Thursday 30 April, ahead of Armenia’s parliamentary elections on 7 June, the European Parliament expressed its support for the efforts made by the country’s authorities to protect its democratic institutions from foreign interference.
In their Resolution (476 votes in favour, 47 against and 48 abstentions), MEPs strongly condemn foreign information manipulation and interference, disinformation campaigns and other hybrid threats directed against the country, in particular those from Russia and its proxies.
The European Parliament reiterates the importance of the independence of the electoral administration, equal campaign conditions for all candidates, media pluralism and full respect for fundamental freedoms throughout the electoral cycle.
With the first ever EU-Armenia summit due to take place in Yerevan on 4 and 5 May (see other news), the European Parliament welcomes the “strong momentum” in bilateral relations, as well as Armenia’s “continued commitment” to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the pursuit of “ambitious” political and economic reforms.
It also welcomes the adoption of legislation expressing the country’s aspiration for EU membership and calls on the EU to deepen its cooperation with Armenia on democratic governance, the rule of law, judicial reform, anti-corruption, cybersecurity and resilience to hybrid threats.
Finally, MEPs welcome the progress made in the peace process with Azerbaijan and the continued efforts towards the normalisation of relations with Türkiye.
Read the Resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/lsk (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)