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On October 22-27, the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gevorg Papoyan, the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan, MP Hasmik Hakobyan, the RA NA Chief of Staff, the Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan, the Assistant to the NA President Davit Araqelyan and the Deputy Chief of Staff Heghine Khachikyan left for Ottawa within the framework of the Support to the Parliament of Armenia program.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gevorg Papoyan presented the recent Azerbaijani aggression, the Azerbaijani anti-human and brutal continuous actions to Robert Oliphant, the MP of the Parliament of Canada, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Referring to the current regional developments, the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs Taguhi Tovmasyan emphasized the need to support the recognition of Artsakh’s Independence, and at the same time warned that leaving Artsakh besieged by Azerbaijan alone will lead to a new genocide of the Armenians living in Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

Robert Oliphant highly appreciated the peaceful revolution in 2018 and the democratization pro cesses of the country that started after that, and expressed the readiness of Canada to continue supporting democratic reforms.

“Armenia is a free and democratic country, but we are paying a very “high price” for it, that is, the war, but for us the sovereignty and democracy of our country is a red line,” the NA deputy Hasmik Hakobyan said during the meeting with the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada Anthony Rota.

Presenting the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia on September 13, Hasmik Hakobyan noted especially after that, international partners define Armenia as a small democratic island in the great Turkish sea, which must be protected. The role of democratic countries in protecting our “democratic island” from authoritarian Azerbaijan was particularly highlighted at the meeting.

The Speaker noted that Canada, as a democratic country, is obliged to support democratic Armenia in the defense of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, otherwise the problem that Armenia has, Canada may have tomorrow.

The sides also touched upon the Armenian-Canadian friendship, the opening of the Embassy of Canada in Armenia, the strengthening of interparliamentary relations and other issues during the meeting.

The Armenian delegation also met with the members of the Friendship Group Canada-Armenia in the Parliament of Armenia. The sides expressed readiness to deepen parliamentary ties, including through mutual visits.

The RA NA Chief of Staff, Secretary General Vahan Naribekyan had a number of meetings with the Parliamentary Secretaries and senior officials within the framework of the visit to Canada.

At the meetings, joint agreements were reached to continue and deepen the cooperation between the staffs of the parliaments of the two countries, to acquire the best practices of the Parliament of Canada and to create a new platform for deepening the cooperation between the parliaments together with the Canadian Parliamentary Center.

In honor of the Armenian delegation, a reception was held at the RA Embassy, which was attended by the representatives of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, as well as the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.