ArmInfo. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan at a meeting with a delegation led by Parliamentary Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, H.E. Mr. Taro Honda stressed that close, friendly relations have been formed between the two countries, high-level political dialogue and cooperation based on common values. This was reported by the press service of the National Assembly.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Japan. According to the NA Vice President, Armenia highly appreciates Japan's contribution to establishing world peace, developing democratic institutions, preventing catastrophes and implementing humanitarian initiatives.
Speaking about the strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties, the NA Vice Speaker expressed confidence that the parliamentary friendship groups would cooperate effectively and give a new impetus to bilateral relations. The parties touched upon effective cooperation in international organizations.
In the context of regional problems, Arshakyan noted that Armenia welcomes Japan's balanced approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its commitment to supporting the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. In this vein, he stressed that the Azerbaijani side continues to violate the ceasefire and undermine stability in the region, stressing that the Azerbaijani armed forces continue to remain in some areas of the sovereign territory of Armenia. The problem of Armenian prisoners of war and other persons held in Azerbaijan remains unresolved.
The NA Vice Speaker informed about the process of regulation of Armenia-Turkey relations.
Arshakyan touched upon the steps aimed at improving the legal field between the two countries, intensifying economic ties, strengthening the cultural dialogue between the Armenian and Japanese peoples.
In turn, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan stressed that Armenia is an important partner for them both in the context of bilateral and international cooperation.
Touching upon regional problems, Taro Honda noted that during the 44-day war his country called on the parties to resolve the problem through negotiations. He stressed the importance of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group.
The interlocutors noted with satisfaction the positive dynamics in the development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Japan, touched upon the possibilities of deepening relations in a number of areas of mutual interest. It was noted that there are ample opportunities for cooperation especially in the areas of economy, high technology and digitization.