YEREVAN. – At the invitation of Czech Senate President Milan Štěch, an Armenian delegation led by National Assembly (NA) Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan is in the Czech Republic since Monday for a three-day official visit. And Abrahamyan met with Štěch.  

First, the NA leader congratulated the Czech people on their National Day, and expressed confidence that the cooperation between the parliaments of both countries will further develop. Also, he underscored the strengthening of interparliamentary ties, NA press service informs.

In Abrahamyan’s words, parliamentary diplomacy could play an important role. He noted that an Armenia-Czech Republic Parliamentary Friendship Group is established in the NA and, also, he highlighted the two countries’ cooperation within international organizations. 

Reflecting on the case of Ramil Safarov—the Azerbaijani army officer who had killed with an axe Armenian soldier Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest back in 2004—, the NA Speaker delightfully recorded the Czech MFA’s position, whereby a harsh assessment was given to what had transpired. Also, he highly appreciated the condemning resolution, which the Czech Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security recently adopted with respect to the Safarov case. Separately, Hovik Abrahamyan suggested opening a full-fledged Czech Embassy in Armenia.

In his turn, the Czech Senate President highly assessed the relations between both countries and underscored the development of interparliamentary partnership. Milan Štěch expressed a conviction that the NA leader’s visit to the Czech Republic will give new impulse to bilateral collaboration. He highlighted Armenia’s ongoing democratic reforms. Reflecting on the Safarov’s extradition and condemning this development, Štěch noted that Hungary’s step was perhaps a mistake, or negligence, the Azerbaijani president’s decision to pardon Safarov, however, ran counter to all international criteria. Milan Štěch underscored Hovik Abrahamyan’s suggestion to open a full-fledged Czech Embassy in Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed regional matters as well. The NA Speaker stressed that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved along the lines of the OSCE Minsk Group and as a result of peace talks. Also, he expressed a hope that the Czech Parliament will formally recognize the Armenian Genocide by the year 2015. In addition, Hovik Abrahamyan officially invited Milan Štěch to Armenia.   

Subsequently, the two parliament leaders held a joint briefing and summed up the results of their talks. 

Also, the Armenian delegation led by Hovik Abrahamyan met with members of the Czech Republic-Armenia Interparliamentary Friendship Group members and discussed matters of mutual interest.   

On the same day, the delegation visited the Lidice House-Museum, placed flowers to the tomb of the innocent victims, and Abrahamyan spoke with survivors of the Lidice tragedy.   

At the end of the day, the NA Speaker got together with representatives from the Armenian community of the Czech Republic. He reflected on Armenia’s domestic political situation, the Karabakh peace process, Armenian-Turkish relations, and responded to the questions posed.