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The Vice President of the RA National Assembly, the Chair of Armenia-India Friendship Group Hakob Arshakyan, the member of the Friendship Group Tsovinar Vardanyan and the deputy of the RA NA Civil Contract Faction Hasmik Hakobyan met with the Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha, the Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIT), the Professor Achyuta Samanta and the Director of International Relations Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences & Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Varun Suthra on July 11.

Welcoming the guests in Parliament, Hakob Arshakyan noted that Armenia attaches importance and highly appreciates the warm friendly relations with India. “Inter-parliamentary cooperation, which has always been on high level, has a key role in the development of cooperation between our states. Armenia-India Friendship group, acting in the National Assembly, which I have the honor to lead, is traditionally one of the largest groups,” Hakob Arshakyan noted. He informed that he had recently taken part in the 8th international conference Raisina Dialogue held in the capital of India New Delhi together with the deputy Tsovinar Vardanyan. “I am impressed by the visit, during which I also met with MR. Om Birla- the Honorable Speaker of the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament. A range of productive and constructive meetings were also held during the visit. I have to say that the visit was quite significant, during which a number of issues of mutual interest were discussed” the Chair of the Friendship Group said adding that Armenia is deeply concerned about deepening relations with India in all spheres. Hakob Arshakyan expressed hope that the visit of the Professor Achyuta Samanta will also, among many programmes, contribute to the implementation of new inter-university events and programmes in the field of education between the two countries. According to the NA Vice President, Armenia and India cooperate effectively in the field of education. Indian students study at Yerevan State Medical University, Armenian National Agrarian University, National Polytech University of Armenia.

The Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) Achyuta Samanta thanked for the warm welcome. He highlighted the importance of interaction between the Parliamnets of the two countries, which is aimed at strengthening the friendship of the Armenian and Indian peoples.

Hakob Arshakyan presented the consequences of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2020, the situation in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. He spoke about the ongoing aggressive actions by Azerbaijan, the humanitarian crisis caused by the illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor, mentioning that Armenia has no territorial claims against its neighbours and the Armenian Government has adopted a policy of peaceful agenda in the region.

The Professor Achyuta Samanta presented the activities of the advanced professional training centers - Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Social Sciences.

The RA NA member of Armenia-India Friendship Group, the deputy Tsovinar Vardanyan informed that she had recently taken part in the Y20 youth forum held within the framework of the G20 forum held in Bhubaneswar, and thanked the Professor Achyuta Samanta for that opportunity. She noted that there are great opportunities for the expansion of cooperation in the field of education between the two states. “During the forum, I met many significant people, I saw the invaluable work done by you, which is an inspiration to everyone. Your dedication to work and all the good that you do with exceptional modesty for those in needy is priceless,” Tsovinar Vardanyan said. She expressed hope that this visit will provide an opportunity to find strong bridges that will serve both countries. “The friendly relations between Armenia and India date back to the beginning of civilization. Both countries have gone through very difficult times. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and India were established in 1992, and these relations are developing with great activity. Today, Armenia is still in the process of solving its security problems. As you know, the main goal of our Government is to open an era of peace in the region, and despite all the difficulties, we are committed to the peace agenda. Today, more than ever, the support of our international partners in this process is highly important,” the deputy said adding that she had the honour to accept with great responsibility the offer to become a member of the international advisory board of KIIT and KISS universities. Tsovinar Vardanyan thanked for the given opportunity for Armenian students to study in KIIT university with full scholarship.