Ara Babloyan and Vyacheslav Volodin discussed prospects for cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries

ArmInfo. Within the framework of the working visit to Russia, the delegation led by the Chairman of the National Assembly Ara Babloyan on February 14 met with the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin.  

According to the press service of the Parliament, Speaker Babloyan, thanking for the warm welcome, stressed that this visit will be another stimulus for the development of inter-parliamentary relations. The head of the parliament expressed gratitude for the organization of the exhibition under the motto "Together", dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation and the 300th anniversary of the New-Nakhichevan and Russian dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church, noting that this is an opportunity to maximize bilateral relations. Speaker of the National Assembly in the course of expanding bilateral relations highly appreciated the existing interaction between the parliaments, in this context assessing the activities of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Babloyan proposed to further intensify cooperation between the interparliamentary commission and parliamentary commissions.

The head of the legislative body of the Republic of Armenia welcomed Volodin as the Chairman of the CSTO PA and for the activities aimed at enhancing the role of the structure. The leaders of the parliaments discussed the issue of carrying out the activities of the CSTO PA in Yerevan and St. Petersburg this year. Turning to the proposal of Russia to hold a meeting of chairmen of the parliaments of the Eurasian countries, the NA Speaker noted that this platform has already proved its viability, creating an opportunity for an unhindered dialogue. He confirmed the willingness of the Armenian side to hold a meeting in Armenia in 2020. Speaking about interaction at international inter-parliamentary platforms, Ara Babloyan stressed the importance of systematic cooperation based on mutual support. In this context, the head of the parliament expressed concern about the PABSEC activities, noting that the latter, having departed from its essence - economic activity, was politicized. At the same time, the NA President highlighted the need to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the parliaments of Europe and Asia. Babloyan said that Armenian parliamentarians will take an active part in observation missions within the framework of the CSTO PA and the CIS IPA in the forthcoming presidential elections in Russia. Noting that traditional partnership relations are a solid basis for further cooperation, the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. V.Volodin stressed that constructive dialogue between the two countries is at a high level, parliamentary structures interact, cultural and educational ties expand.

After the meeting, Ara Babloyan and Vyacheslav Volodin took part in the opening of the exhibition "Together", dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation and the 300th anniversary of the New-Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese of the AAC.