Marseille,France--Raffi K. Hovannisian, the Heritage Party’s current chairman and alwaysArmenia’s first minister of foreign affairs, received from European People’s Party (EPP) chairman and former Belgian prime minister Wilfried Martens the official EPP pin symbolizing Heritage’s entry into the EPP family as an observer member. A formal decision will be made in February 2012. 

This breaking development was announced during the EPP chairman’s keynote address at the party’s 20th annual congress here. Hovannisian conferred separately with Martens, president of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin of Marseille, and several European presidents, prime ministers, members of parliament, and EPP leaders. 

The Republican Party of Armenia, the Prosperous Armenia Party, and the Country of Laws Party also have made application for observer status in the EPP.

 Heritage Party Press Service