"The European Parliament has always been interested in fair and transparent elections in Armenia, and we record the reached progress with pleasure," representative of the European Parliament Mission Marie-Anne Isler Béguin stated to journalists in Yerevan. She said, presence of local observers during the parliamentarian elections made easier the work of international missions. "We welcome efforts of the Armenian nation to reach fair and transparent elections and hope the progress will strengthen during presidential elections of 2008," she underscored.

Marie-Anne Isler Béguin also noted progress in democratization of the Armenian society is connected with the fact that Armenia has really fulfilled commitments on front of the Council of Europe, as well as with country's participation in the European Neighborhood policy.

As to the refusal to accept OSCE observers from Turkey, the representative of the European Parliament underlined their absence did not influence on the work of the mission. At the same time she wished that observers from all OSCE member-stated were represented at the presidential elections. "Armenia is a part of Europe just as Turkey, and we expect normalization of relations between the two countries in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy," Béguin stressed.