The delegation led by Deputy Speaker Hakob Arshakyan, which includes the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration, Arman Yeghoyan, and the member of the RA NA Armenia-Czech Friendship Group, Hasmik Hakobyan, is on a three-day working visit to the Czech Republic.
On October 9, the delegation led by Hakob Arshakyan met with the first vice-president of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Jiří Drahoš, and the Chairman of the Education, science, culture, Human Rights and Petitions Committee of the Senate of the Parliament, Jiri Ruzicka.
Expressing his gratitude for the invitation and warm reception, the RA NA Deputy Speaker emphasized that the Czech Republic is one of Armenia’s essential European partners. He noted with satisfaction the stable development of friendly relations with the Czech Republic and expressed readiness to deepen cooperation.
During the meeting, the situation in the region was presented in detail, and the aggressive policy pursued by Azerbaijan against the territorial integrity of Armenia to provide proper support to those forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh was discussed.
The need to achieve lasting peace in the region was also discussed.
The first vice president of the Senate, Jiří Drahoš, emphasized the activation of inter-parliamentary contacts and the visit of the RA NA delegation to the Czech Republic. He noted that the Czech Republic supports Armenia’s territorial integrity in the observance of principles and rejects any violation of territorial integrity. The first vice president of the Senate also noted that he has supported the democratic reforms of the RA in recent years.
The delegation, headed by the Deputy Speaker of the RA National Assembly, also met the Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Jan Skopeček.
During the meeting, Hakob Arshakyan noted that Armenia attaches great importance to dynamically developing friendly relations with the Czech Republic based on mutual trust and shared democratic values. In the bilateral agenda, he attached great importance to inter-parliamentary cooperation and the further expansion and strengthening of inter-parliamentary relations. The parties talked about the situation in the region and the policy of ethnic cleansing against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, Jan Skopeček, noted that he follows the situation in the region, adding that the Czech Republic always supports the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
At the meeting with Marek Benda, the president of the Czech Republic-Armenia friendship group of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, and the members of the group, the role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting the bilateral agenda was greatly emphasized. The Deputy Speaker of the RA National Assembly highly appreciated the part of friendship groups, which are an essential link between the two countries’ legislative bodies. The details and consequences of another large-scale attack unleashed by Azerbaijan on September 19 were discussed at the meeting.
Hakob Arshakyan highly appreciated the adoption of the resolutions on the return of Armenian prisoners of war by the Foreign Relations Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. He expressed his belief that the Czech partners will continue to support the Armenian people and contribute to returning the prisoners of war.
The friendly group members expressed concern about the challenges in the region. They noted that more than ever, it is necessary to think about further cooperation, which will spread in all directions.
