RA Parliament Vice Speaker held meetings with Syria-Armenia and  Israel-Armenia parliamentary friendship groups

ArmInfo.RA NA Deputy Speaker Hakob Arshakyan received the delegation led by head of the Syria-Armenia Friendship Group of the People's Assembly of the Syrian  Arab Republic Lucy Iskanyan.

As the Press Service of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia reports, welcoming the guests, the NA Deputy Speaker noted  that the Armenian people have the warmest feelings towards Syria,  with which we are connected by historical and cultural communities  and centuries-old warm friendship. 

According to Hakob Arshakyan, Syria was of crucial importance in the  history of the Armenian people.  The friendly people of Syria  extended a helping hand to hundreds of thousands of Armenians who  escaped from the genocide. Referring to the situation after the war  unleashed by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem against Artsakh, the NA  Vice Speaker stressed that Azerbaijan, through Turkey, brought  mercenaries from Syria and other countries of the region into the  war.

"Although a lot of time has passed since the signing of the  tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, the situation remains  fragile. Azerbaijan continues its provocative actions against the  sovereign territory of Armenia, endangering stability and peace in  the region," Hakob Arshakyan stated and added that Armenia continues  efforts to establish lasting peace in the region.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of  diplomatic relations between Armenia and Syria. Hakob Arshakyan, in  the context of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation,  emphasized the role of inter-parliamentary cooperation, the  activities of parliamentary friendship groups. On this issue, the 

NA Vice Speaker also stressed the role of the Armenian community in  Syria and added that our country highly appreciates the brotherly  attitude of the Syrian authorities and people towards the Syrian  Armenians.

Lucy Iskanyan also stressed the importance of deepening bilateral  relations and conveyed warm greetings to Hakob Arshakyan and the  Armenian legislators from the chairman of the Syrian Parliament and  readiness to expand cooperation. Speaking about the regional  situation, the head of the friendship group noted that Syria also  felt the consequences of the actions of terrorists. She stressed the  importance of implementing the agreements signed between the two  countries, which have slowed down as a result of the Syrian crisis.

The parties stressed the importance of efforts to establish long-term  peace and stability in the region.

Arshakyan also met today with the delegation headed by Chairman of  the Israel-Armenia Friendship Group of the Knesset, MP from the  "Meretz" party Mossi Raz. Touching upon the recognition of the  Armenian Genocide, the RA NA Vice Speaker expressed hope that Israel  would recognize the Genocide. "The Armenian and Jewish peoples, who  survived the horrors of the genocide, have a moral duty to unite  their efforts in this matter," he said.  The NA Deputy Speaker  considered the Israel-Azerbaijan military-technical cooperation  problematic and especially the non-stopping of arms supplies to  Azerbaijan during the 44-day war in 2020.

Hakob Arshakyan also touched upon the process of normalization of the  Armenian-Turkish relations.  Mossi Raz, Chairman of the  Israel-Armenia Friendship Group, noted that he had planned his first  visit to Armenia on April 24, so that on this symbolic day the memory  of 1.5 million killed would be commemorated. The parties touched upon  the need to exchange experience in various fields, intensify contacts  between friendship groups.