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On May 23 the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan met with the students representing the schools of different communities of Kotayk Marz, who visited the parliament within the Open Lesson programme framework. Before meeting the Speaker of the National Assembly they attended the NA sitting. The Chairman of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Artak Davtyan took part in the meeting.

NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan considered necessary the schoolchildren’s visits to the legislative higher body and participation in its works. The head of the parliament briefly presented the structure and work order of the National Assembly, distinguishing the oversight function of the parliament. He also touched upon issues concerning the foreign policy. Hovik Abrahamyan presented Armenia’s positions on the NK conflict settlement and the Armenian-Turkish relations. Hovik Abrahamyan noted that Armenia sees the solution of the NK issue only within the OSCE Minsk Group through peaceful negotiations. The issue of the Nagorno Karabakh status is the prior one for the Armenian side. Speaking about Armenian-Turkish relations RA NA Speaker presented the history of signing the Zurich protocols and the events following it, noting that the violation of the agreements, proposal of preconditions by Turkey impede calling on the protocols and negotiation process.

The NA Speaker also answered the schoolchildren’s questions, which related to the educational process, the amendment to the law on Conscript and the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. In response to the question relating the entrance exams Hovik Abrahamyan said that they would do their best to hold them fairly. And the Committee Chairman said this year in the senior classes of the schools there would not be school leavers, and the entrance exams will be held for the applicants, who have applied recent years or have demobilised from the army or the children, who have returned from other countries.

The NA President and the schoolchildren continued the talk at the NA session hall, and the meeting ended with a photo.