YEREVAN. – President of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Ara Babloyan, on Thursday received a delegation, led by Chairman David McAllister of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who represented Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Finland and Italy, are in Armenia within the framework of a regional visit.
Representatives of the NA factions also attended this talk.
The NA President noted that the European Union (EU) continues remaining a key partner of Armenia, cooperation with the EU is, first of all, based on the system of common values.
Babloyan highlighted the role of the parliamentary diplomacy in the development of Armenia-EU relations.
Talking about the new EU-Armenia Framework Agreement to be signed in future, the NA speaker stated that Armenia, which is moving in the direction of the democratic development, expects the EU’s support in various domains.
In the context of democratic development and protection of fundamental human rights, Ara Babloyan touched upon Azerbaijan’s “blacklist” comprising foreigners that have visited Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), and expressed their wish to get acquainted with the situation on the spot, unfairly appeared there.
Regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the issue of the young people who get killed in border incidents, the NA President reaffirmed the position of Armenia on the resolution of this conflict through pacific means, and noted: “As a doctor, I have cured and operated on hundreds of Azerbaijani children during the Soviet years. And it is painful that we lose our young people during these days: the problem should be solved through peaceful means.”
MEP McAllister, for his part, expressed the wish to listen to the views of both the political majority and the opposition of Armenia, with respect to the ongoing processes in the country.
During the ensuing exchange of views, the interlocutors touched upon the EU-Armenia new Framework Agreement to be signed in future, the avenues for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, and the MEPs’ visits to Artsakh.
During the talk, the representatives from all National Assembly factions expressed their viewpoints and concerns.
