Friday, May 5 2023 12:05

ArmInfo.On May 4, the RA NA President Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Parliament of the  Republic of Turkey Mustafa Sentop. After the official meeting the heads of the parliaments of the two countries had a private talk with about 20-minute duration.

The RA NA President noted that Armenia shows constructive involvement  in the normalization process of the relations with Turkey. Alen  Simonyan said that within the framework of the normalization process  of the relations between Armenia and Turkey certain achievements were  succeeded to record.

The Head of the Parliament of Turkey underscored that his country, in  the framework of the presidency of PABSEC, tries to be neutral with  all member states, adding that at this moment there are also  conflicts among the member states.

The RA NA President, reflecting with pain to closing of the airspace  for the Armenian airline companies by Turkey, expressed hope that  this meeting in its turn will promote the solution of the problem. In  response to that, Mustafa Sentop mentioned that the opening of the  Nemesis Fountain-Memorial in Yerevan is a sensible and painful issue,  by which is conditioned the abovementioned ban. The RA NA President  opposed that many reasons can be pointed out, because of which  numerous processes stopped, but his visit also in this respect  contains an impetus for advancing.

Alen Simonyan noted that Armenia highlights the opening of the  Armenian-Turkish land border for the citizens of the third countries  visiting Armenia and Turkey and for the persons with diplomatic  passports.  He expressed regret that he could not cross the land  border with diplomatic passport for taking part in this event.

"Despite the difference of the positions of Armenia and Turkey on a  number of issues, we hope that this meeting will serve as a basis for  establishing Armenian-Turkish parliamentary dialogue and forming  necessary bases on providing its continuity," the Head of Parliament  stated.

According to Mustafa Sentop, Turkey seeks to normalize the relations  with Armenia. To his conviction, the possible urgent solution of the  Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict benefits not only the parties to the  conflict, but also to the whole region.

Alen Simonyan reaffirmed that the Armenian side is being led by the  peace agenda and will not be deviated from that agenda. He documented  that Armenia has no territorial claims against its neighbours,  reaffirming that the goal of our country is the establishment of  continuous and peace and stability in the region.

At the meeting reference was made to Turkey-Azerbaijan allied  relations, within the framework of which the RA NA President stressed  that the approaches of Baku are not constructive, and the latter acts  from maximalist positions. Issues regarding the return of Armenian  prisoners of war being held in Azerbaijan and the post-war situation  were discussed.