Rotterdam, Netherlands—Raffi K. Hovannisian, Heritage Party co-founder and Armenia’s first foreign minister, addressed the European People’s Party’s Political Assembly and then the plenary session of its Congress held here between May 30 and June 1.

Hovannisian addressed more than a thousand delegates, European leaders, media, and members of the public on Armenia’s ongoing domestic, regional, and international challenges and Europe’s mixed track record on those fronts.  He touched on the large-scale tragedy in Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s recent, and continued, war of occupation against Mountainous Karabagh and Armenia, and marked the latter’s unfortunate democratic decline in recent times.

In the margins of the conclaves, Raffi Hovannisian enjoyed informative exchanges with long-standing colleagues, including one serving president, two prime ministers, three foreign ministers, several opposition and party leaders, as well as presidents, rapporteurs and members of the European Parliament and European Commission, and the newly-elected EPP Chairman Manfred Weber.

The Republican Party of Armenia was represented at the meetings by Mr. Armen Ashotyan.