On April 8 the members of RA NA Armenia-Germany met Iris Gleicke, Counselor-State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Housing Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany and German Ambassador to Armenia Dr. Heike Renate Peitsch.

Welcoming the guests in the National Assembly of Armenia, Gagik Mkheyan, Chairman of the parliamentary group, said that the operating friendship groups have a problem of activating contacts, cooperation and exchange of experience. Mrs. Iris Gleicke noted that there are spheres, where it is possible to cooperate, first of all, of course, starting the process from two parliaments. Hranush Hakobyan, member of Armenia-Germany parliamentary group, highlighted the credit programmes being implemented jointly, adding that, according to the new policy, now the credit programmes are more often directed to marzes, having the aim of developing the marzes. According to Mrs. Hakobyan, it’s not only in economy that we feel the presence of Germany. RA Criminal and Civil Codes were developed by the German experts’ active participation. Hranush Hakobyan also touched upon the issue of Armenian Genocide, noting that Germany, winning the fascism, should recognize the fact of Armenian Genocide and invited the guests to a scientific conference “Women Against Genocide” being held in Yerevan on April 18.

MP Aghasi Arshakyan also touched upon the issue of the Armenian Genocide and the necessity of recognizing it internationally and condemning it.

Iris Gleicke, Counselor-State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Housing Affairs of GFR informed that in April in Bundestag of Germany discussions are envisaged, during which they will also touch upon the issue of the Armenian Genocide. “Germany knows quite well its debts and obligations,” said Mrs. Gleicke. As MP Alexan Karapetyan said, during the years of Great Patriotic war Germany couldn’t conquer the USSR, but over the years it conquered the hearts of the people living in the countries of the USSR territory.

MP Sergey Abrahamyan informed that today the children study German and invited Iris Gleicke and German Ambassador to Armenia Dr. Heike Renate Peitsch to get familiarized with the teaching level and conditions on the spot. Dr. Heike Renate Peitsch said that there is an aim to develop the rates of teaching of the German language, specifying as a good example the secondary school N 5 after Mushegh Ishkhan of Yerevan, the graduates of which, getting the relevant certificate, can carry on their education without additional examinations in the higher educational institutions of Germany.

At the end of the meeting the German guests expressed their admiration in connection with the reforms being made in Armenia and expressed a hope that the next meeting of the parliamentary group will be held in Berlin.