On September 19 Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, received members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, headed by Mr. Umberto Ranieri, Chairman of the Committee. The ambassadors of two countries Mr. Massimo Lavezzo Cassinelli, Italian Ambassador to Armenia, and Mr. Ruben Shugaryan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Italy, participated in the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, emphasized the importance of the development of the ties between the parliamentarians of the Council of Europe and member-countries of the European Union. Noting that Armenia had returned to the European family not so long ago, the president of the parliament assured, that the impressing steps were taken during this period, and there are still a lot of things to do. During 6 years of being the member of the Council of Europe the legislation beginning from the Constitution, has been considerably improved in Armenia. The PACE resolutions also confirmed the progress of Armenia in the aspect of the fulfillment of the undertaken obligations. These successes have been achieved due to contacts and cooperation. Noting that the European integration is one of the priorities of the foreign policy of Armenia, Mr. Torosyan assured that from the view of the multilateral international relations this direction has no alternative. Noting that the integration is an inevitable process at a present level of the globalization the NA President emphasized the importance of the environment where the integration takes place. As he assessed, the civilization common grounds can become a basis of real integration. And the integration is especially important for the creation of the internal life of the country as well as for specifying the system of values, and only then - from the view of the membership in the structures.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, noted that the old and deep relations, including all the spheres of life, connect both countries with each other, and Italy has also been one of the centers of the Armenian spiritual life for centuries (the Mkhitaryan Congregation of Venice). Especially highlighting the development of the relations with the Italian Parliament the NA President noted that the visit of the delegation of the Chamber of Deputies was preferable to be later when the Armenian-Italian parliamentary friendship group would be composed and when it would be possible to discuss the program of cooperation, but all this will be made later. Mr. Torosyan expressed confidence that the visit of the delegation will be an important step in the aspect of the Armenian-Italian inter-parliamentary relations. The NA President sent his greetings and kind wishes to the President of the Italian Parliament.

Mr. Umberto Ranieri, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, considered important the visit to Armenia from the view of deepening mutual information awareness and expansion of cooperation. Noting that the last three months of the year are dedicated to the discussion of the budget in the Italian Parliament he expressed willingness to come back and to favor to the development of the relations the next year. Mr. Ranieri invited the NA President to Italy with official visit expressing hope that both Venice and Naples will be included in the visit schedule where an Armenian spiritual center exists too. As Mr. Ranieri ensured, the people in Italy treat Armenia and Armenians with warm love and they highly assess the efforts of the Armenian authorities in the direction of leading country on a democratic way. It was noted that the Italian Parliament positively assesses and supports the steps of Armenia to the Euro integration. In 2007, with the membership of Bulgaria and Romania, the borders of the European Union reached the Black Sea and the states of South Caucasus were included in the New Neighborhood Programme of the European Union. Mr. Ranieri highly assessed the concrete steps of the Armenian authorities in the fulfillment of this programme. According to him, it is possible to touch upon the regional conflicts in the context of European integration, which prevent the development of the countries for years. He expressed willingness of Italy to assist the resolution of those problems. Noting that the European Union should undertake much more responsibility, he confirmed that in the context of the expanded Europe Armenia could find solutions in the issue of relations with Turkey.

Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, highly estimating Mr. Ranieri’s observations, agreed that the problems connected with the NKR and Turkey should be examined within the framework of European integration. The European integration supposes concrete values: human rights, rule of law, democracy, and member-countries of the European family should settle their relations in these frameworks. As much the member countries of the Council of Europe will adhere to these values, as it will be easier to find decisions in the issues with each other.

Touching upon Armenian-Turkish relations Mr. Tigran Torosyan reminded that in 16 years of independence of Armenia Turkey unilaterally keeps closed the border. During these years the Armenian authorities repeatedly confirmed that they are ready to establish relations with Turkey without preliminary conditions, however the preconditions are put by the Turkish side: at the same time one of them is connected to the third country - with Azerbaijan. There is no substantiation that one member country of the Сouncil of Еurope blocks another. This issue sometimes is mentioned in the European Parliament during the debate over the membership of Turkey in the European Union. The NA President noted that though it is possible to understand the political, perhaps the economic value of Turkey for the EU, but the revival of the European community has taken place thanks to the values not based on the interests, and it is unacceptable to bypass values for the sake of interests.

Agreeing with Mr. Ranieri’s view on the necessity of enlarging the responsibility of the European Union the NA President noted that it should be from the point of the adherence to the democratic value system.

Related to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, Mr. Torosyan reminded that Armenia had never changed its position and always acted for the benefit of the peaceful settlement of the conflict within the framework of the international law. The position of the people of the Nagorno Karabakh is clear and precise: people want to live freely on the basis of the democratic values, which are the European values and much more powerful values, than temporary interests and sizes of the natural resources of some countries. What kind of destiny has been prepared for the people of Nagorno Karabakh perfectly shows the example of Nahkijevan, a territory, which is situated between Turkey and Armenia but belongs to Azerbaijan. Today there is no Armenian in the place, which once was inhabited with Armenians. The Nagorno Karabakh has faultless bases for its independence from the view of the international law as it declared its independence according to the laws of the USSR, and the Azerbaijanians, who lived in Karabakh at that time, also participated in the referendum, which was held that time. The NA President advised the Italian deputies to visit Karabakh for having better idea of the issue and for understanding the people’s desire. Mr. Torosyan also touched upon the war-like statements of the Azerbaijanian authorities about the resolution of the conflict through military way, noting, that the president of Azerbaijan hardly believes, that Azerbaijan will begin the war and will win it as war appeals are simply the opportunity of the false patriotism from elections to elections, as well as an excuse of the growth of the military budget, as the military expenses are closed, less controllable, and it is also much easier to spend them for the other purposes.

Other issues were also touched upon during the meeting.

On September 19 Mr. Armen Roustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, also received the delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, headed by Mr. Umberto Ranieri, Chairman of the Committee.

Mr. Ranieri noted that the purpose of the visit is to expand the mutual cooperation between two countries as well as to deepen the cooperation at the level of parliaments and committees. He invited his Armenian colleagues to Italy with return visit. The Italian Parliament watches over the process of the European integration of Armenia with interest, and according to its observation, the large-scale reforms are carried out in Armenia, the progress is noticeable and significant. He noted that after the expansion of the borders of the EU with the membership of Bulgaria and Romania the states of South Caucasus are geographically closest to the borders of the EU, and the New Neighbourhood programme is the proof of the strategic value of Caucasus for the EU. In this context Mr. Ranieri expressed hope that the Karabakh conflict will find its positive settlement as well as Armenia-Turkey relations will also be improved. The Chairman of the Committee proposed the assistance of the Italian Parliament to the programs directed to the deepening of the democratization processes of Armenia.

Mr. Armen Roustamyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, highly assessed the importance of such meetings, considering necessary the cooperation of two parliaments at the level of the committees. Mr. Roustamyan characterized as historical the 2004 decision of the EU on the New Neighbourhood programme, which included the region of the South Caucasus in the circle of the political interests of the EU. During three years the main reference points, the ways of the development have been specified, the basic documents, which will enable the complete integration of Armenia into this policy, are accepted. Touching upon the problems of the development of the region in this context, Mr. Roustamyan emphasized the importance of the settlement of the conflicts. According to him, three existing basic conflicts should be differentiated, and it is not possible to find one key for their solution. Mr. Roustamyan noted that the political settlement of the conflicts should not be considered as a precondition for the expansion of the cooperation, expressing confidence that there is an opportunity to fulfill the programmes of the cooperation in parallel with the political solution of the conflict. Armenia supports all those initiatives, which are directed to the provision of the arena, and an atmosphere of cooperation in the region.

Mrs. Leoluca Orlando, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, head of the Committee on Regional Affairs, touching upon the regional problems noted that if Turkey and Azerbaijan want to become EU members, they cannot have closed borders and disturb neighbors anyhow. He is convinced that Europe has many things to do and shall undertake the role of the initiator of the political dialogue.

Other issues of bilateral interest were also debated at the meeting.