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Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Ambassador Armen Papikyan delivered a statement at the 1255 OSCE Permanent Council meeting on Thursday in response to the address by the president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), George Tsereteli.

The diplomat stressed Armenia appreciates the “balanced and tailor-made” approach of the Parliamentary Assembly with regards to different conflicts and crisis situations in the OSCE area, Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE reported.

The full text of Armen Papikyan's statement is below.

"Mr. Chairman,

We warmly welcome the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly George Tsereteli back to the Permanent Council and thank him for his presentation. My delegation has always advocated for stronger coordination, dialogue and enhanced cooperation between the structures and institutions of the OSCE, including the Parliamentary Assembly. The regular nature of our meetings both within the OSCE and at the bilateral levels indicates that, in fact, such dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly is mutually beneficial and needed.

Mr. President,

The latest example of such cooperation and dialogue has been your recent visit to Armenia in the framework of your regular visits to the OSCE participating States. Among other issues, your visit provided a good opportunity for outlining the avenues of cooperation with the Armenian Parliament in general, and with the Delegation of Armenia to the OSCE PA in particular. It was also extremely useful in terms of strengthening the existing dialogue with the Government of Armenia. Details of democratic processes taking place in my country, national reform agenda, Armenia-OSCE wide range of cooperation, as well as issues pertaining to regional peace and stability, including those related to the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs format were discussed. It was also an appropriate occasion to once again express overall satisfaction with and support to the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. The importance of an environment conducive to peace was underlined. In this context, a reference was made to the recent modest, and yet positive example of confidence building between all the parties to the conflict.

In this respect, we value the balanced and tailor-made approach of the Parliamentary Assembly with regards to different conflicts and crisis situations in the OSCE area. During the Annual Session in Luxembourg, parliamentarians of the OSCE encouraged the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to take specific and tangible measures to reach a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict on the basis of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, among others referring to and underlining the principle of equal rights and self-determination of people.

Mr. President,

Armenia is ready to further strengthen its cooperation with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and contribute to the democratic processes in the OSCE area by way of presenting its national experience of democratic transition.

The Parliamentary Assembly continues to remain an important format for dialogue among the elected representatives of OSCE participating States. The upcoming winter meeting will create an ample opportunity to discuss many political developments in the OSCE area and its immediate vicinity, as well as their possible implications on the security and stability of our region. We thank you for presenting the main topics for discussion that the PA Winter Session is going to address and are looking forward to following closely the deliberations on those pertinent issues.

In conclusion, Mr. Tsereteli, since, this may be your last appearance at the PC in your capacity as President of the Parliamentary Assembly, let me once again express our appreciation for your able leadership of the parliamentary track of our Organization. Let me also reiterate our readiness to continue our close cooperation with the OSCE PA and to maintain our dialogue with you personally, Mr. President, in a different capacity as well.

Thank you."