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On the second day of the official visit to the Republic of India, in the morning of December 6, Mr and Mrs Abrahamyans and the members of the official delegation led by the RA NA Speaker visited Raj Ghat, where they laid a wreath at the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Then the RA NA delegation left for the parliament of the Republic of India, where the NA official delegation met with the Speaker of the House of the People Meira Kumar.

Welcoming and thanking Hovik Abrahamyan for accepting her invitation and paying official visit to India, Mrs Kumar expressed conviction that the NA Speaker’s visit would further boost the development of bilateral political and inter-parliamentary relations. “India highly assesses the friendly relations with Armenia and the Armenian people coming from the depth of centuries. I am confident that your visit will promote not only the strengthening of the political relations of the two countries, but it will give a new impetus to the trade-economic relations, where there is a  big unused potential,” said the Speaker of the Indian Parliament. She deemed necessary the development of cooperation in the spheres of high technologies, education, science, health care, tourism and in other spheres of bilateral interest. She expressed confidence that the Indian initiatives and the Indian businessmen were interested in making investments in Armenia. Mrs Kumar thanked the NA Speaker for the support and cooperation in the UN and in international structures.

Thanking Mrs Kumar for the invitation and warm reception Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that Armenia highly assesses the relations with India. To his conviction, the inter-parliamentary cooperation, which is at the high level, is one of the important circles of the relations between the two states. The NA Speaker highlighted the activities of the Friendship Groups which would greatly promote the deepening and strengthening of the relations between the parliaments of the two countries. Hovik Abrahamyan also deemed necessary the development of the trade economic relations and the deepening of cooperation in a number of spheres. Mrs Kumar assured Mr Abrahamyan that in future in the Indian Parliament a Friendship Group with the Armenian Parliament also would be created.

In the course of the meeting the sides touched upon the regional problems, the NK problem and the Armenian-Turkish relations. Hovik Abrahamyan has informed her that in 2015 the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be, and has noted that on that occasion he expects the assessment of the Parliament of India. The Speaker of the House of the People has noted that this issue is a very sensitive one, however the Parliament of India always expresses its attitude towards the crimes against humankind. She assured Hovik Abrahamyan that she would conduct political consultations and discussions with her counterparts, expressing conviction that the Parliament of India would react.

The NA Speaker invited Mrs Kumar to Armenia on an official visit: the invitation was gladly accepted. Hovik Abrahamyan left a note in the Commemoration Book of Honourable Guests.

On the same day in the Parliament of India the NA Speaker and the members of delegation had a meeting with the Leader of the opposition of the Indian Parliament Mrs Sushma Swaraj. Let us note that according to the protocol of the Indian Parliament the guests, who pay official visit, have meetings with the Head of the opposition political forces.

During the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues relating to the development of cooperation of the two parliaments and of bilateral interest. Mrs Swaraj presented the composition, structure, activity and the correlation of the political forces of the Indian Parliament. She has noted that in the parliament 24 Standing Committees function, 16 in the House of the People, and 8 in the Senate. The Leader of the biggest opposition faction becomes the Head of the opposition forces and has big authorities.

The NA Speaker and the members of the delegation presented the activity and the structure of the National Assembly of Armenia. Hovik Abrahamyan has noted that Armenia has made wide scale democratic reforms in various spheres and in terms of the development of democracy occupies leading positions in the region.

Let us inform that today on the occasion of Nelson Mandela’s death mourning was declared in India and the plenary sittings of the two houses of the Indian Parliament were not held.

At the end of the day the NA Speaker gave an interview to the television of Lok Sabha.