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On January 24, the Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Ashotyan received with Lars Adaktusson, the Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), the Member of EPP Faction, who was in Armenia on the initiative and invitation of the ARF Europe Hai Dat/Armenian Cause Committee Office. The Head of the ARF Europe Hai Dat Committee Office Gaspar Karapetian attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guest in the RA National Assembly, Armen Ashotyan touched upon the issues concerning the bilateral and multilateral parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation. The Committee Chairman has noted that Armenia in its foreign policy is guided not only by quick, but also reasonable steps, aiming at avoiding the divisive lines. In this context the role of the European vector of the RA foreign policy was highlighted compared with the friendly and strategic ally relations with Russia.

Touching upon the RA-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, Armen Ashotyan emphasized the quick ratification of the Agreement in the national parliaments as soon as possible. The Committee Chairman has noted that though every national parliament has its priorities of the political agenda formation, nevertheless, the Armenian side expects boosting of the Agreement ratification process, where the members of the European Parliament can also have their role.

Regarding the peaceful settlement process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armen Ashotyan has underlined that the Artsakh movement, the 30^th anniversary of which sees this year, cannot be characterized in any way, as geopolitical. In this connection he has added that the conflict is exclusively national, based on the desire of the realization of the Artsakh people’s democratic values, the differences of system of values with Azerbaijan and the impossibility of their overcoming. The Committee Chairman has noted that more active involvement in the conflict settlement process is expected from the MEPs observing without obstacle the availability of the so called ‘black list’ of Azerbaijan. In this context Armen Ashotyan highlighted the issue of the Nagorno Karabakh people’s involvement in the conflict settlement process, noting that the Nagorno Karabakh people and their expression of will need to be more internationalized.

The Committee Chairman greatly emphasized the role and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the solution of the issue and preservation of stability in the region. The parties documented that the conflict could not be solved without Artsakh people

The interlocutors expressed readiness to closely cooperate on the European parliamentary platforms.

The Member of the European Parliament Lars Adaktusson will also visit Artsakh within the framework of his visit.