Good relations with neighbours to strengthen Armenia, says ruling MP Hovhannisyan

Good-neighbourly relations with neighbouring countries and open borders will strengthen Armenia, said Arthur Hovhannisyan, Secretary of the ruling Civil Contract faction.

Hovhannisyan made the remarks during discussions on the National Assembly’s draft statement “On Establishing Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” according to Armenian media cited by Caliber.Az.

He described the August 8 Washington agreements signed by Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in the presence of US President Donald Trump as a “historic achievement” for the Republic of Armenia and its people, which yielded results that "seemed impossible just a month earlier."

"Since gaining independence, we have had a documented practical opportunity to break free—politically, economically, and, why not, militarily," Hovhannisyan said.

He added: "The signed documents show what kind of state we must become, and what we were not before. Good-neighbourly relations with our neighbours and open borders will further strengthen democracy, the economy, and, of course, the legal system of the Republic of Armenia."

Hovhannisyan also expressed confidence that the August 8 Washington agreements will consolidate peace in the region.

By Khagan Isayev