YEREVAN. – Armenian National Assembly (NA) Vice-Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov, who is in Geneva, Switzerland, on a working visit, on Wednesday met with Claude Hêche, the First Vice President of the Swiss Council of States. The meeting was held within the framework of the 131st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly.

The Armenian parliament deputy chair praised the current level of Armenian-Swiss relations, Sharmazanov’s staff reported. He recorded that parliamentary ties have a special place in bilateral cooperation.

The interlocutors underscored the continuity of the activities of the parliamentary friendship groups, and highlighted the need for mutual visits.

Reflecting on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sharmazanov gave a positive assessment to Switzerland’s balanced position on this matter. He noted that Switzerland is a proponent of human rights, and stressed that the people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR, or Artsakh) are fighting for the recognition of their right to self-determination.

Turning to Armenian-Turkish relations, the NA vice-speaker highly appreciated Switzerland’s mediation toward the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations. He noted, however, that Turkey continues to reject the efforts to normalize these relations and to posit preconditions.

Sharmazanov also expressed his gratitude to the Swiss National Council for passing a resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He stated that the recognition and condemnation of such crimes is important for their prevention in the future.

At the end of the talk, Eduard Sharmazanov invited Claude Hêche to Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan next year, to be on hand at the events to be organized on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide.