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On June 4 At the invitation of the Speaker of the Latvian Saeima Solvita Aboltina the delegation led by the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan will leave for the Republic of Latvia on three-day official visit, which comprises of the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs Koryun Nahapetyan, NA deputies Hovhannes Sahakyan, Volodya Badalyan.

The first meeting was with the Speaker of the Latvian Saeima Solvita Aboltina.

The Speaker of the Latvian Saeima thanked Hovik Abrahamyan for accepting her invitation and visiting Latvia. Mrs Aboltina highly assessed the political relations formed between the two countries. She deemed necessary the further development and deepening of the inter-parliamentary cooperation, expressing conviction that the official visit of the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan to Latvia would give new impetus to the bilateral cooperation. The Head of the Latvian Parliament has noted that the friendship groups promote the deepening of cooperation between the two parliaments and gladly informed him that the Friendship Group with Armenia is the biggest in number: 34 MPs are included there. She highly appreciated the rates of the development of Armenia-EU relations and expressed readiness to convey the Latvian experience in the process of the European integration. Solvita Aboltina deemed also important the development and activation of economic relations, noting that in this sphere there were non-used opportunities. The Speaker of the Saeima highlighted the cooperation in the EU Eastern Partnership format and the cooperation in international structures.

Thanking for invitation and warm reception Hovik Abrahamyan expressed confidence that the cooperation based on the friendly relations of the two countries would more strengthen and develop. Regarding the deepening of the inner-state relations Hovik Abrahamyan has highlighted the development and deepening of inter-parliamentary relations. The NA President documented with satisfaction that in the recent period the Armenian-Latvian political agenda had been full, which unequivocally witnesses to the wish of more developing the relations from both sides. Ton Hovik Abrahamyan’s conviction, in deepening the inner-state relations the parliamentary diplomacy and the activity of the parliamentary friendship groups could have an important role. He has noted that the Friendship Group functions Armenia-Latvia Parliamentary Friendship Group, and its effective work boosts the cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries. Hovik Abrahamyan has mentioned that Armenia pays great attention to the deepening of cooperation with the European Union and Armenia-EU relations are rather full. The Head of the Parliament has expressed confidence that the pre-signing of the Association Agreement will open new quality in the bilateral relations in Vilnius Summit. “Armenia attaches great importance to the Eastern Partnership, and this year in November at the Summit to be held in Vilnius, which will be an important place for further deepening of the EU-Eastern partners relationship. From May 16 Armenia has assumed the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. This is big responsibility, and at the same time, an opportunity to have our own contribution in overcoming the challenges facing the organization. Today, when Latvia has already begun to get prepared for assuming the EU chairmanship in 2015, I would like to express Armenia’s willingness and actively be involved in the process of formation of the Eastern Partnership agenda.”

With respect to boosting the trade-economic cooperation the sides highlighted the activity of the Armenian-Latvian Inter-Parliamentary Committee and the conduct of the first meeting of the Committee to be held at the end of June in Riga.

In the course of the meeting the sides touched upon the regional problems, the settlement of the NK problem, and the Armenian-Turkish relations. The interlocutors expressed conviction that the conflicts should be settled through peaceful negotiations. Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that in 2015 the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and has expressed hope that Latvia, as more than two dozens of countries of the world, will recognize and denounce that crime perpetrated not only against Armenians, but also against the whole humanity.

Hovik Abrahamyan invited Mrs Aboltina on an official visit to Armenia: the invitation was gladly accepted.

After the meeting Hovik Abrahamyan and Solvita Aboltina made a statement for the mass media.

The NA President accompanied by the Speaker of the Saiema took a tour in the building of the Latvian Parliament.

The heads of the parliaments of the two countries visited the Freedom Memorial Complex, which is the symbol of the independence of Latvia. In the presence of the official delegations of the two countries a solemn ceremony was held, the anthems of the two states sounded.

On the same day the delegation led by the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the Mayor of Riga Neil Ushakov. The NA President congratulated the Mayor of Riga on the occasion of the reelection and positively assessed the effective cooperation established between Yerevan and Riga in the context of the development and the deepening of the Armenian-Latvian relations. He has documented with satisfaction that tendencies of the development of the centralized cooperation between Armenia and Latvia are recorded. The Mayor of Riga presented the administration system of the city. He said that in 2014 Riga was declared cultural capital of Europe and in that connection the participation of Yerevan Municipality was expected in the festive events being scheduled.