Armenian MPs hoped for the Czech Republic's support to protect Armenian monuments in the territories occupied by Azerbaijan.
"I attach great importance to the development of Armenian-Czech friendly relations, cooperation on international platforms," Head of the Armenia-Czech Republic parliament friendship Group A. Hovhannisyan told the meeting with the delegation headed by the First Vice-Speaker of the Senate of the Czech Parliament Jiri Ruzicka.
A. Hovhannisyan noted the need to deepen and expand cooperation between the parliaments.
Touching upon the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, A. Hovhannisyan called its entry into force a year ago a turning point for Armenia.
“This opens up new prospects for us not only in terms of cooperation with the EU countries, but also in terms of cooperation with the Czech Republic,” he said.
The MP noted that the Armenian side expects the political support of the Czech Republic in the issue of liberalization of the visa regime, taking into account its upcoming presidency in the EU Council. The Armenian parliamentarian recalled that the fourth meeting of the RA-EU Partnership Council chaired by the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan is being held in Brussels today.
The parliament deputies touched upon the issue of prisoners in Azerbaijan after the 44-day war. It was noted that Azerbaijanis often endanger and destroy Armenian historical, cultural and spiritual values in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. The Armenian parliamentarians attached great importance to the support of the friendly Czech Republic in these matters.
Speaking about the current situation in the region, A. Hovhannisyan noted that Armenia is committed to the agenda of establishing peace in the region, continues discussions on the status of Artsakh and presents a solution exclusively within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship.
Touching upon the issue of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the head of the Armenia-Czech Friendship Group thanked his colleagues for the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide by the Senate.
The First Vice Speaker of the Senate of the Czech Parliament noted that such meetings contribute to the deepening of bilateral ties and the development of cooperation in various fields. According to Jiri Ruzicka, they follow the democratic process in Armenia, including within the framework of legislative reforms.
Referring to the issue of protecting the Christian monuments of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Czech parliamentarian expressed hope that the UN would be able to visit these territories and assist in their protection.
The parties discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the field of media, especially noted the exchange of experience. The importance of having a free media in the development of democracy is emphasized.
Presenting the current situation, A. Hovhannisyan noted that most of the media sphere in Armenia belongs to the opposition, and now there is a problem of depoliticization of the media.
MP S. Ghazaryan noted the transparency of media funding, touched upon the need for legislative changes to regulate the sphere.
David Smolyak, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Media Issues of the Czech Senate, presented the Czech experience in this area and the ongoing work.
Members of the Armenia-Czech Republic NA Friendship Group S. Ghazaryan and M. Galstyan, representatives of the Czech Senate Standing Committee on Media Issues attended the meeting.
