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On March 13, the joint sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and the RF FA Council of Federation Committee on International Affairs co-chaired by Armen Ashotyan and Konstantin Kosachev was held.

Welcoming the members of the delegation in the parliament the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Ashotyan highlighted the holding of the joint sittings in the format of the parliamentary cooperation and the debate of the issues of bilateral interest. He underlined the importance of such meetings in terms of deepening of strategic relations.

Armen Ashotyan presented the themes under debate and the co-rapporteurs, wished success to the work of the sitting.

The Chair of the RF FA Council of Federation Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev has noted that the Armenian-Russian relations give an opportunity to discuss mutually beneficial and numerous topical issues in different formats and get tangible result. The Committee Chair highlighted the contacts existing between Russia and Armenia at high level, stressed the role of the participation of the Speakers of the parliaments and the work of the inter-parliamentary committees in the deepening of strategic relations. Konstantin Kosachev has stated that the Russian side has great expectations from the joint sitting, as the issues under debate include a wide scope of interests. The member of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Karen Bekaryan and the member of the RF FA Council of Federation Committee on International Affairs Oleg Seleznev delivered speeches on the theme the Armenian-Russian Strategic Dialogue: Parliamentary Format .

In Karen Bekaryan's word, this format of the parliamentary cooperation is interesting that it is possible to voice different issues in the friendly atmosphere, find solutions using the great potential of the two committees. The RA NA deputy emphasized the problems of informing the public about the prior issues for the country and working with the civil society. According to the co-rapporteur, the countries should have their own programmes of strategic development, and not spend their main potential on responding to the events going on in the world. Karen Bekaryan also stressed the problem of cognition, as well as closely contacting with each other, knowing well each other allow strengthening the spiritual ties.

In his report Oleg Seleznev touched upon the increase of the volumes of the goods turnover in the EEU framework, stressing the activities of a number of big Russian companies in Armenia. He underlined the importance of the Armenian-Russian mutual visits at high level and cooperation in the international parliamentary organizations. In Oleg Seleznev's word, the development in the humanitarian sphere is evident: the cooperation in the spheres of culture, science, education gives wonderful result. According to the co-rapporteur, Armenian students can study in different Russian higher educational institutions.

During the exchange of thoughts after the reports the participants asked questions to the co-rapporteurs and voiced their viewpoints on the theme under debate.

Afterwards the RA NA deputy Shirak Torosyan delivered a speech within the framework of the theme The Global Security and the Regional Challenges. He touched upon the information, energy, the transport security issues, considered necessary the united struggle against international terrorism and having an alternative to Lars checkpoint. The MP stressed the strategic partnership existing between the two countries. Talking about the settlement of the NK problem, he underlined that by violating the norms of the international law Azerbaijan uses force and threat of force, continues its military rhetoric. In this aspect the speaker emphasized the addressed assessment of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries.

Sergey Kislyak has underscored that the bilateral relations are stable and reliable he touched upon the challenges of security provision and the Russian-American relations.

At the end of the day the theme Eurasian Integration and Popular Democracy was debated. Artashes Geghamyan from the Armenian side, Rafail Zinurov and Olga Timofeeva from the Russian side delivered speeches.

Artashes Geghamyan referred to the foreign policy implemented by our country, the RA-RF ally strategic relations, the implementation of the public diplomacy, the military rhetoric of Azerbaijan and talked about the impermissibility of the anti-Armenian policy of that state.

Quoting historical facts Rafail Zinurov presented the path passed by Armenia and the Armenian people and the policy pursued in different historical times.

In effectively organizing the integration processes Olga Timofeeva highlighted the implementation of the sub-structures and joint programmes in other spheres.

During the debates the Armenian and Russian parliamentarians touched upon today's geo-political processes, the Russian-Turkish relations, the problem of selling weapon to Azerbaijan, the speech by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan in Munich Security Assembly, the EEU-EU relations, the international security threats and other issues.

With regards to the NK problem settlement Konstantin Kosachev noted that the conflict could not be solved through military means. To his assessment, in this issue Russia has a balanced and distinct position.

The work of the joint sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and the RF FA Council of Federation Committee on International Affairs will continue on March 14.