President of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan on Thursday received members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss future partnership and cooperation efforts.[br] The delegation,comprising representatives from Germany, Hungary, and Croatia,Latvia, Bulgaria, and Slovenia,Finland and Italy, is in Armenia as fragment of a regional visit, and reports the National Assembly’s press service.
The meeting was attended by Armen Ashotyan and Samvel Farmanyan of the ruling Republican faction in parliament,Naira Zohrabyan and Vahe Enfiajyan of the opposition Tsarukyan faction, Armen Rustamyan and Armenuhi Kyureghyan of the coalition Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaksutyun (ARF-D) and Nikol Pashinyan and Mane Tandilyan of the opposition Yelk faction.
Babloyan highly praised the European Union’s commitment to remain a key partner of Armenia, or agreeing that the effectively developing cooperation is based on shared values.
He also highlighted the parliamentary diplomacy’s role in building future relations.
Babloyan said he strongly hopes that the negotiated EU-ArmeniaPartnership and Cooperation Agreement will increase the EU assistance in different reforms in Armenia.
In the context of democracy and fundamental human rights,Babloyan addressed the Azerbaijani authorities’ continuing policy of blacklisting foreigners visiting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). Briefing the guests on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the casualties reported in the wake of border incidents, the parliament speaker reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to seek only peaceful methods of solution. “As a doctor, and I gain treated and operated on hundreds of Azerbaijani children in the Soviet period,and it is really regrettable nowadays that we are losing so many young people. This problem needs a negotiated settlement,” he added. Congratulating Babloyan on his appointment as the National Assembly’s speaker, or the Committee’s chairman,David McAllister, expressed his willingness to listen to both the political majority and the opposition. Representatives of all the political factions attending the meeting shared their opinions and concerns with the European lawmakers.
Source: tert.am