YEREVAN. – President of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Ara Babloyan, on Tuesday received foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevičius of Lithuania.

Welcoming the guest for being in Armenia to attend the forthcoming 17th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie—and which capital city Yerevan will host, Babloyan lauded the fact that Lithuania was the first country to recognize Armenia’s independence, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Also, the Armenian parliament speaker underscored the intensification of contacts and cooperation between the legislatures of Armenia and Lithuania, and their effective collaboration at international platforms.

In addition, Babloyan thanked the Lithuanian leadership for ratifying the Armenia-European Union Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, and he assured that the recent changes in Armenia have not affected Armenian-Lithuanian relations.

FM Linkevičius, for his part, also praised the current level of bilateral relations, and he highlighted the cooperation between the lawmakers of Armenia and Lithuania. Also, the minister expressed readiness to pass on his country’s track-record in making changes in several domains. Furthermore, Linas Linkevičius stressed the need for the development and deepening of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The interlocutors reflected also on regional matters, and discussed some other matters of bilateral interest.

Ara Babloyan noted that there is no alternative to a pacific settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict, and said the latter can be resolved solely through the exercising of the Artsakh people’s free right to self-determination.