ArmInfo.Armenian Ambassador to Latvia Tigran Mkrtchyan (Vilnjus residence) held a number of meetings with representatives of the executive and legislative branches.
The press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo that Mkrtchyan thanked the Latvian Foreign Ministry for the assistance in ratifying the Armenia-EU comprehensive and expanded partnership agreement with the country's parliament at a meeting with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andris Pelsh. In turn, Pelsh promised to make every effort to develop and deepen relations between the two countries.
Touching upon the need to stimulate economic relations, Mkrtchyan stressed the importance of holding a meeting of the Armenian-Latvian intergovernmental commission in the first half of 2019, adding that all arrangements and preparatory work have already been completed. In this context, the parties also touched upon the need to open regular flights from Riga to Yerevan by Air Baltic, which could contribute to a good basis for stimulating tourism and increasing trade between the two countries. Pelsh promised to keep the discussed issues at the center of attention and to promote their solution.
The sides discussed topical issues of the international and regional agenda, touched upon the internal political processes in Armenia and Latvia.
Mkrtchyan also met with the head of the directorate of bilateral relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Ilgvars Klyava. The latter presented the Armenian ambassador with preparatory work for the parliamentary elections in the country, scheduled for October 6. In his turn, Mkrtchyan touched upon the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan, as well as changes implemented by the new government. The sides stressed the importance of the permanent holding of bilateral inter-MFA consultations, as well as the possibility of organizing high-level mutual visits in the foreseeable future.
At the meetings in the Foreign Ministry of Latvia, Mkrtchyan also raised the issue of provocations carried out in the last period by Azerbaijan on the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, stating that in a number of directions the enemy VS made peaceful civilians of border villages targeted for injuries and losses. The Armenian Ambassador stressed the need to apply the language approved by the OSCE Minsk Group co- chairs and fixed in the RA-EU document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In the Seim of Latvia, the Armenian Ambassador met with the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee Oyar Erik Kalnins. The latter presented in detail the preparations for the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The interlocutors touched upon the domestic political processes in Armenia and Latvia, as well as topical issues of the regional and international agenda.