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Official press release by the Armenian President’s Office

President Serzh Sargsyan received today the delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh, headed by Artsakh NA Speaker Ashot Ghulyan. The delegation has arrived in Armenia to attend the 12th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the national assemblies of Armenia and Artsakh.

Welcoming the delegation, the President of Armenia highlighted the importance of close inter-parliamentary relations between the two Armenian States and went on to emphasize that irrespective of the format of interaction - meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, regular meetings of NA Standing Committees or contacts between parliamentary groups - this is the best way of exchanging information and combining efforts to solve common problems.

“I have always been optimistic about the fact that despite the war imposed on us, the escalation on the Line of Contact, our sisters and brothers in Artsakh are full of faith in their future, which strengthens their statehood, promotes wellbeing and democracy. And this comes to convince us that we are on the right path, and that our will is irreversible.

Of course, a key milestone on this way was the referendum on constitutional reform held on February 20, 2017, which once again reaffirmed that there are no divergences between the executive and legislative powers and the people of Artsakh. This is extremely important in the face of the emerging challenges.

I think no one doubts that not only the Republic of Armenia, all our citizens, but also all Armenians are on your side, and this will always be the way,” President Sargsyan said, stressing that it is necessary to get the results of parliamentarians’ discussions through to the citizens of the two Armenian States, since we are strong, optimistic and firmly determined when our steps are consistent with our people’s wishes.

Thankful for the reception, Artsakh’s NA Speaker noted that being traditionally hosted by the President of the Republic of Armenia within the framework of inter-parliamentary cooperation committee meetings is crucial for parliamentarians as these meetings provide a good opportunity to discuss issues of pan-Armenian significance in addition to the bilateral agenda.

Ashot Ghulyan appreciated the Armenian President’s readiness to meet with parliamentarians during his visits to Artsakh. He briefed the President on the issues discussed at today’s inter-parliamentary committee meeting, held in a constructive and warm atmosphere.

“Developments in Armenia and Artsakh following the constitutional reforms are high on our bilateral agenda. As you mentioned, Mr. President, we have entered a crucial phase in terms of enacting and enforcing new regulations based on the constitutional referendums in Armenia and Artsakh.

While we have opted for different models of governance, nonetheless we have many similarities as evidenced by the path we covered in the past. There are some peculiarities that we would like to discuss with our colleagues who are well aware of this process and can be helpful in bringing our legislation into conformity with the basic law,” Ashot Ghulyan stated at the meeting with the President of the Republic of Armenia.