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On November 13 in the National Assembly the official visit of the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Marios Garoyian was summed up with the joint press conference of the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mr Hovik Abrahamyan and the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Marios Garoyian.

President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Marios Garoyian said about the results of the official visit:

“First of all, I would like to thank the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mr Hovik Abrahamyan for the invitation to visit my ancestors’ land Armenia. My visit once again re-affirms the excellent ties that exist between the two parliaments, emphasizes our bilateral wish to expand and deepen more our relations. We agreed with the NA President Mr Abrahamyan to implement the memorandum that had been signed by our predecessors in a possible way. During the official visit of the NA President in Cyprus we’ll sign an expanded memorandum of inter-parliamentary cooperation, where the spheres, which were not in the previous one, would be included. The mutual visits of the standing committees of the two parliaments would become more frequent. The members of the Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Committee with Cyprus of the National Assembly have already been invited to Cyprus. We would like to deepen our cooperation and exchange of information with each other in international instances, and exchanges between the staffs will certainly be. Cyprus as a member of the European Union is ready to support practically Armenia in order to implement programmes within the framework of the EU Neighbourhood Policy. During the visit we had very practical meetings with the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr Serzh Sargsyan, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister Mr Tigran Sargsyan, Foreign Minister Mr Edvard Nalbandyan. I had opportunity to know about the initiatives of the President Mr Serzh Sargsyan. Regarding the establishment of the relations of Armenia and Turkey, the recent events connected with Nagorno Karbakh, I should note that we have mutual agreement with all items. Armenia continues to pursue a policy based on international principles around all problems, and the same is the policy of Cyprus in the issues regarding Armenia. There is a wish from both sides to deepen and expand more the economic relations between Cyprus and Armenia in the spheres of tourism, high technology and culture, and there are big opportunities for the investments in the two countries, too. My meetings were very practical, and I dare to say that a new page is opened for the development of excellent relations existing between Cyprus and Armenia. My visit was official, but from the first moment when I put my foot in Armenia, I don’t think that we acted merely according to ceremony, as we felt that we were a big family. That circumstance helped our visit be successful and harmonious. I thank you the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Abrahamyan and the Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Committee of the National Assembly, our all colleagues and journalists who covered my visit. And I am very thankful that I had opportunity to deliver a speech in the National Assembly of Armenia, it was an unforgettable day for me, I would pass my impressions to my children that they would be proud of their national identity and being citizen of Cyprus.

President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mr Hovik Abrahamyan noted:

“We had very warm relations with Mr President from the first moment, though him being Armenian had its role. I am convinced that in 2003 and in 2004 the mutual visits of the Presidents of the two parliaments had been very effective. We had an agreement with Mr Garoyian to renew the cooperation agreement in 2009 during his envisaging visit to the Republic of Cyprus and add some items. Our relations are very warm with the Republic of Cyprus, as there are also fatal similarities. From May 2004 the Republic of Cyprus is a full member of European Union and has a big role in the integration to European structures of Armenia. The experience shows that the MPs of the Republic of Cyprus often support the MPs of the Republic of Armenia in the international structures. We can’t but mention that in 1982 Cyprus was one of the first countries to recognize the Genocide. We can’t but say that on May 28, 2008 a monument to the Armenian Genocide was opened in Cyprus. We can’t but mention the warm attitude of the Cypriot authorities towards the members of the Armenian community. As a President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia I am inclined to do everything for making closer our relations with the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus. I am sure that making closer the inter-parliamentary relations will also promote the development of relations in all other spheres.

The Presidents of two parliaments answered also the journalists’ questions:

“Hayastani Hanrapetutiun:” “You mentioned that there are big opportunities of cooperation in the economic sphere, as well as in the sphere of investments. Please, give us some details, what opportunities are there?”

Mr Marios Garoyian: “ We have big opportunities for developing the economic sphere. Cypriot businessmen came with me to Armenia, and they had meetings with Armenian businessmen. Before going to Armenia I had a meeting with the Chairman of the Union of Businessmen of Cyprus, he also emphasized making investments in Armenia and the wish of increasing the volumes of the good turnover. The businessmen of Cyprus both wish and have opportunity to cooperate with the Armenian businessmen, also making investments. Regarding any programme to be done in the nearest future I am sure that the businessmen have discussed and reached an agreement and we can introduce a concrete programme. Studying the sociological data before coming to Armenia I think that the level of the economic cooperation between our countries is rather low. Soon you will witness enlivening in the economic sphere.”

Mr Hovik Abrahamyan: “In 2007 comparing with 2006 the goods turnover grew five fold, in 2006 there was 1m USD goods turnover, in 2007 – 5m USD. We’ll have the data of 2008 at the end of the year. Indeed, in the aspect of the implementation of concrete programmes no serious step has been taken, but next year we’ll try to take businessmen, sign treaties on the spot and hold discussions. There is an agreement about that with the President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus.”

“Azg” “In the sphere of foreign policy what problems do you see for the cooperation of two countries?”
Mr Marios Garoyian: The two countries pursue a policy of security, peace and stability, and completely follow the international laws and act within the framework of EU principles. We are all well aware of Armenia’s will to see peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, which will be based on the international norms. The Republic of Cyprus completely agrees with the Armenian position because we agree that this very important region, which gradually gets geopolitical and strategic serious importance for the whole political world there should be peace. We want to solve the problem of Cyprus through discussions in Cyprus. On the initiative of President Mr Christofias a new period of negotiations has started with the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish part. We wish to find a quick solution as soon as possible, which will be fair and acceptable for Cyprus, and which will be based on UN resolutions, EU principles, and international law. Armenia in its turn on the initiative of President Mr Serzh Sargsyan tries to restore Armenia-Turkey relations through peaceful way, wishes the Armenian-Turkish border to be opened, which is also based on international laws and principles that should function between the neighbours. In numerous issues the viewpoint of our two states coincide. Putting aside all historical ties that exist between two states the history has put us before a fact that today we have a common enemy. The wishes of Turkey’s expansion, positions are not understandable, and the wish to evade the international law and violate the EU principles and values. I said about that yesterday, and today I am emphasizing again that Turkey forcibly occupied 37% of Cyprus from 1974 till nowadays, keeping an army with 45.000 people in that region, moved 175.000 people from Anatolia of Turkey region to Cyprus. Every day Turkey violates human rights and wishes to keep its forces in Cyprus, tries to put its rules in parallel before an EU member country and UN member country. Remarkable is the example of Armenia: in 1915 a Genocide of Armenian people took place, but Turkey behaves itself in a way as if nothing happened. How does it coincide with the face that Turkey shows to the whole world, as if a country striving for peace, leaving unchangeable its position and trying to present that 1.5 m people, who were not guilty, had not done anything bad, were not been killed in 1915, a people, who gave a lot to the mankind, world culture, who only strives for peace? How can everything be compared? A country, which wants to show its face as if a country striving for peace, which as if wishes to bring peace to the Caspian region, proposing to create a platform, which tries to persuade everybody that strives for peace and wishes security for all peoples. Concluding my speech I’ll say that Turkey in reality wishes that it should take away its troops from Cyprus, return the people that moved there illegally, and come to an agreement that in the issue of Cyprus there will be a solution, which will be acceptable for all sides. If everything what is saying today Turkey, is a reality, it must re-start its relations with Armenia, and must open the borders and must recognize the Armenian Genocide, not because we want to punish Turkey, but that is our duty.”

Azg: “The future destiny of Melkonian College in Cyprus interests the Armenian Diaspora and us. If you are informed, please, speak about that.”

Mr Marios Garoyian: “It’s also very bad for us that the college appeared in this situation, we do not agree with that process and position. In my previous post cooperating with the community we tried to prevent this process and we’d try to do everything possible in order Melkonian College could function again, as it was the Ambassador of the Armenian people for the whole world. Many people left for the United States and other states, and I hope that the people, who are responsible, would make right decision for the future of the College and it would not be closed. That is the wish of the Armenian community and for all of us.”

Nikos Patkidis: “Mr Presidents, I address my question to both of you, you said that you would try to make the relations closer, make bigger the exchange of delegations between the parliaments. Do you take any steps to deepen bilateral relations, for example, open an Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus?”

Mr Marios Garoyian: " This is a question that concerns the two governments and, of course, the ministries of foreign affairs. Both the President of the National Assembly and me would like to have an Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Armenia and an Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Cyprus. I know that the foreign ministers of the two countries must have a meeting in the nearest future, as well as the official visit of the President of the Republic of Cyprus to Armenia is envisaged. I hope by that time we will have positive developments in that sphere.”

Mr Hovik Abrahamyan: " I agree with my counterpart and I would like to add that the Ambassador of Armenia to Greece Mr Vahram Kazhoyan coordinates the office of the Ambassador of Armenia to Cyprus, and simply we don’t have an Embassy in Cyprus. I also think that the existence of the Embassy will help very much the strengthening of our relations with the Republic of Cyprus."

Panayotis Kapadis: I would like to direct my first question to RA NA President: What is Armenia expecting from the European Union? And the second question to the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus: How can Cyprus support in this sphere to Armenia? How do you refer to the membership of Turkey to the European Union?

Mr Hovik Abrahamyan: We have adopted policy of European Integration, and we’ll do everything in order to have our country, the Republic of Armenia, in its place in the world, in the row of all democratic countries. We closely cooperate with the Council of Europe and European Union. Two years ago we signed a cooperation programme with the European Union and within the framework of the New Neighbourhood Policy. I would like to refer to an issue, about which talked my counterpart: about the Republic of Turkey, which makes every effort in order to become a member of the European Union, I don’t imagine in the European Union having stable system of values any country can be included, which closes its borders before the neighbours. In my opinion, all the member countries must retain the high values of the European Union, one of which is the Republic of Cyprus.”

Mr Marios Garoyian: " I had an opportunity to discuss the relations with the European Union with the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Mr Hovik Abrahamyan and the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr Serzh Sargsyan. The Republic of Cyprus as a member state of the European Union has an opportunity to have a practical role in deepening the ties between Armenia and European Union. The Republic of Cyprus can elaborate special programmes for cooperation between Armenia and European Union. The Republic of Cyprus wants to deepen the ties between Armenia and European Union and promote the implementation of Armenia’s all programmes. And we can reach all this through the European Neighbourhood Policy. As very precisely noted Mr Abrahamyan, it has already been two years that Armenia signed a special programme with the European Union, and we, as a European Union country, are ready to support those programmes. We have relations with the Armenian Government in order to advance those programmes. Regarding the relations between Turkey and European Union, our wish is that Turkey will be changed and pursue a new policy, which will comply with the adopted values and principles of the European Union. We agreed for the beginning of negotiations between European Union and Turkey but it had three preconditions, first that it would recognize the Republic of Cyprus, second, that it would begin relations with the Republic of Cyprus, third, that it would implement the Ankara treaty, which means that it should open the airports and ports for the planes and ships of Cyprus, and support to find a solution in Cyprus issue, which will be acceptable for both sides. Up to now Turkey has not fulfilled any precondition. We’ll work that Turkey would fulfill all the preconditions that it had undertaken before the Republic of Cyprus and European Union, and pursue a policy, which will be based on the principles and values of the European Union, which means that Turkey should learn to honour also its neighbours, one of which is Armenia. From the political view and numerous views the Republic of Cyprus is next to the Republic of Armenia."

Mr Hovik Abrahamyan: " The Republic of Armenia also defends the stance of the Republic of Cyprus and is next to you Mr President. We believe that the settlement of the Cyprus issue should be based on the two-community, two-zone federal structure with one common power and citizenship."

“Azatutyun:” “Mr Abrahamyan, you said that a country like Turkey that keeps close its borders with the neighbours cannot be included in the European Union. As far as I know there is no such issue on the agenda of the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia in order we would not put preconditions on the issue of Turkey’s joining European Union. Has anything been changed on the agenda of Armenia’s foreign policy?”

Mr Hovik Abrahamyan: " I haven’t made any such wording. We are not EU members. Simply we can express the opinion of our country. The second and third Presidents of Armenia repeatedly announced that they were ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any precondition but there is practical response. I would like once again confirm that I don’t imagine that any country keeping borders closed before the neighbours can become a member of the European Union.”