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On November 23, the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan hosted the delegation led by t he President of the Republic of Iraq Abdullatif Jamal Rashid .

During the private conversation followed the official reception the RA NA President and the President of Iraq exchanged ideas on the similarities of the activities of the parliaments of the two countries, the representation of the minorities in the parliament and establishing lasting peace in the region.

At the meeting in the extended format the sides talked about the stable development of the Armenian-Iraqi friendly relations and the necessity of activation of contacts in many spheres.

In the context of political dialogue, the role and significance of parliamentary diplomacy was highlighted, distinguishing the role of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups in the development and strengthening of the inter-parliamentary relations. The sides recorded that in recent years the political dialogue has considerably activated between the two countries, which is a firm basis and guarantee for the development and strengthening of the inter-state relations in all spheres.

Touching upon the security problems, Alen Simonyan underscored the importance of the implementation of the Crossroads of Peace project: “Mr President, you have already been gave the details regarding the Crossroads of Peace. The implementation of this project will bring great advantage to the involving countries, including Iraq, taking into consideration the short duration of flights from Iraq to Armenia.” The RA NA President added that the project gives opportunities for the development of economy and communication for the South Caucasus region, as well as the countries being outside the region.

Thanking the RA NA President for the warm reception, the President of Iraq emphasized Iraq as a politically stable, economically prospering country with rich history. In the history and culture of the country he singled out the role of the Armenians and the Armenian community, stressing that the Armenians of Iraq are considered to be part of a demographic picture and have a great role in the issues significant for the country. President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid noted that the goal of this visit is the exchange of experience, getting acquainted with the details of the investment policy and once again re-establishing the partnership ties.

In the end of meeting the President of Iraq left a note in the Book of the RA NA Honourbale Guests. He wrote in particular: “All of us are hopeful that the relations of Iraq with Armenia will be strengthened, including both the legislative and the legal cooperation.”