Today the Interparliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of Armenia and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation held its 33rd session, which was held online, as reported the Department of Public Relations and Communication of the National Assembly of Armenia.
Greeting the participants of the session, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Hakob Arshakyan stated that he believes the interparliamentary committee serves as a dynamic platform for dialogue and successfully complements the cooperation within the scope of the intergovernmental commission. He also expressed certainty that it will be possible to thoroughly discuss the problems, find effective solutions and predetermine the new directions for constructive partnership during the meeting and underscored the role of cooperation within international platforms.
Talking about regional issues, Arshakyan stressed that Armenia is in a difficult period and touched upon the post-war situation, noting that several humanitarian issues remain unresolved. He added that in spite of the commitments assumed under the trilateral statement signed on November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan refuses to return the Armenian prisoners of war and other persons being held. He also expressed gratitude to the Russian Federation for providing ongoing support to solve these issues. “We are also thankful to the Russian peacekeepers for their efforts to maintain peace and security and preserve Armenian religious and cultural heritage monuments,” Arshakyan said.
In his welcoming remarks, Vice-Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Yuri Vorobyov emphasized that Armenia is one of Russia’s strategic partners, both countries are cooperating effectively on different interparliamentary platforms, and the relations are growing dynamically in several sectors.
The year 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Armenia, as well as the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance which, according to Vorobyov, will give a new impetus to the bilateral ties.
Touching upon the regional issues Vorobyov stated that Russian MPs are following the development of events in the region and expressed the view that the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is of major significance for Russia.
The sides discussed the prospects for bilateral humanitarian cooperation, as well as support to the dissemination of Russian language in Armenia and Armenian language in Russia. The deputy ministers of education and science of both countries presented the steps being taken in this direction. They raised the issue of adding Russian-language instructional manuals and textbooks and considered necessary the implementation of exchange programs, cooperation between universities and the holding of performing arts festivals.
During the session, it was decided to support the placement of a monument to the Russian-Armenian friendship at Russia Square in Yerevan.
At the end of the session, the working plan of the Interparliamentary Committee for the year 2022 was confirmed. The 34th session will be held in Armenia next year.
