Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver, Chairman of External Relations and Defense Committee of Senate of Belgium Senate, arrived in Armenia. Meetings with Mr. Tigran Torosyan, the President of the National Assembly, His Holiness Garegin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, Mr. Vardan Oskanian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Serge Sargsyan, Minister of Defense are envisaged during the meeting. Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver will leave for NKR, where he will meet with Mr. Arkady Ghukasyan, President of NKR, Mr. Ashot Ghulyan, the President of the NKR Parliament and Archbishop Pargev. The Senator will visit Tsitsernakaberd to put a wreath at the Memorial Complex of the victims of the 1915 Genocide of Armenians.

On August 29, Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver, Chairman of External Relations and Defense Committee of the Belgium Senate, met Mr. Armen Roustamyan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, Mr. Aramayis Grigoryan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, in the Parliament.

Welcoming the guests and highly assessing the established relations, Mr. Roustamyan expressed conviction that the Senator’s visit would be a new impetus for the development of the Armenian-Belgian relations in activation of inter-parliamentary ties. It was noted, that choosing the development of the European path our country tries to integrate in Europe, and all the European structures joined by Armenia, promote that activity. The interest of Armenia in the European development is increasing, and Armenia feels a part of the European whole family.

Highlighting the development of the inter-parliamentary ties, Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver, highly assessed the deepening of the Armenian-Belgian cooperation. As OSCE presiding over country, Belgium is interested in the process of the settlement of Karabakh conflict and the activity of the Minsk Group. In this context Mr. Viver expressed his concern related to the increase of the military budget of Azerbaijan, noting that the fact was negatively accepted in the international community. The Belgian Senator highly assessed the Armenia’s efforts in the direction of Euro-integration, and as a historian noted that Armenia was always a part of Europe.

Mr. Aramayis Grigoryan, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs, also was concerned with the increase of military expenses of Azerbaijan and noted that Armenia was always for the peace settlement of Karabakh conflict. The Minsk Group is the most optimal and real format for its settlement. As to Mr. Roustamyan, there are no positive changes in negotiation process, because in contrast with Armenia, Azerbaijan always rejects the presented proposals and refuses to sign any document, which contradicts its understandings of the solution of the issue. Mr. Roustamyan considered necessary NKR’s participation in the negotiation process and considered inadmissible that Karabakh is represented as a subject of the conflict and not a participant. And the Karabakh conflict is considered as an argument between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this context Mr. Roustamyan highly assessed the mission of OSCE Minsk Group directed to the settlement of the conflict considering the idea of holding a referendum in Nagorno Karabahk an achievement, towards which Azerbaijan has a negative attitude.

The proposals of the development of bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.

Within the framework of the parliamentarian meetings Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver also met Mnatsakan Petrosyan, Aghasi Arshakyan and Tatul Manaseryan, members of Armenia-Belgium Parliamentary Friendship Group of the National Assembly.

Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver highly assessed the activity of the Belgian friendship group in the cultural, historical and political view, witnessing the interest of the politicians involved in the friendship group towards the region.

Touching upon the settlement of the NK conflict Mr. Francois Roelants du Viver highlighted the mutual understanding and political courage in the negotiation process.

During the meeting other issues of mutual importance were discussed.