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The delegation led by the Vice Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Vojtech Filip is in Armenia on a two-day visit.

On the morning of March 4 the members of the delegation of the Parliament of the Czech Republic laid a wreath at the monument of the Armenian Genocide victims, visited the Genocide Museum, and in the park of the National Assembly laid down flowers at the memorial perpetuating the victims of October 27, 1999 crime.

On the same day the delegation led by the Vice Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Parliament of the Czech Republic Vojtech Filip had a number of meetings in RA National Assembly.

The first meeting was with the RA NA Vice Speaker Samvel Nikoyan. In the course of the meeting issues pertaining to the development of the inner-state, particularly inter-parliamentary relations, cooperation of the two countries in international organizations and European integration processes were discussed.

Highly assessing the level of political dialogue between the Republic of Armenia and the Czech Republic the NA Vice Speaker noted that it was time to develop the economic relations between the two countries too, a sphere, where there were big non-fulfilled opportunities.

Mr. Vojtech Filip, highlighting the Armenian partner’s proposal on developing the economic relations, invited the deputies, who were involved in discussing the cooperation directions and undertaking concrete steps on economic issues, to the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

During the meeting the sides touched upon the ratification of the protocols aimed at the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

According to Mr. Nikoyan’s assessment, Turkey’s policy of untimely canceling the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, connecting them with the Karabakh problem, impeding the processes of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide has no relation to the contents of the protocols, where there is no word about any precondition.

The sides also discussed issues regarding the Eastern Partnership programme of the European Union, Nagorno Karabakh key problem and regional problems.

The members of the parliamentary delegation of the Czech Republic met the Chairperson of the RA NA Standing Committee on European Integration Naira Zohrabyan.

Naira Zohrabyan presented the functions of the committee to the guests, noting that the committee had three main tasks: relations with the European Union, the Council of Europe and the approximation of Armenia’s legislation with European criteria.

Mrs. Zohrabyan highlighted Armenia’s relations with the European Union, observing the European Union as economic, political big power center. The sides thoroughly discussed the works done in the direction of four platforms of the Eastern Partnership. The Committee Chairperson said that in order to have secure and stable region we should have normal relations with all neighbouring states, noting that Azerbaijan consecutively impeded one of the most important components of the partnership, the relations between the partner countries.

Referring to the Armenian-Czech relations Mrs. Zohrabyan noted that Armenia was interested in more developing bilateral relations with the Czech Republic, deepening the cooperation in different spheres, including also the parliamentary copperation. Mrs. Zohrabyan emphasized the assistance of the Czech Republic in the approximation of the legislation of the Republic of Armenia with the European criteria. An agreement was reached to lay down on the practical grounds the cooperation of the committees of the European Integration between the two parliaments.

The Committee Chairperson drew the attention of the Vice Speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic to reducing the Armenian students’ fellowship during the last two years by the Czech Government and allocating those quotas to Azerbaijan, expecting that the problem would be discussed in the Czech Government.

Mr. Filip expressed his willingness to support the committee and noticed that it would have a key role in spreading the European values.

The interlocutors referred to the issues concerning the deepening and strengthening the European Union-Armenia cooperation and NK problem.

The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Rustamyan received the delegation of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

Welcoming the guests’ visit to RA National Assembly, Mr. Rustamyan highlighted the cooperation of the parliaments of two friendly countries, indicating the necessity of more activating the bilateral relations, which could be effective in political, economic, trade and cultural spheres with respect to cooperation. In the context of activating the inter-parliamentary relations, Mr. Rustamyan also touched upon the cooperation already formed at the level of the committees, which promoted the effective implementation of the joint programmes. He expressed hope that the visit would be a new impetus for strengthening the Armenian-Czech friendship. The Committee Chairman valued the ratification of the agreements aimed at the development of the economy between the two countries. Touching upon also the agreements being adopted in the nearest future, Mr. Rustamyan in this issue highlighted the cooperation of the committees in the legal contractual field. In his conviction there is a big potential in expanding goods turnover and economic relations, which, however, was not fully used. Speaking about the process of the European integration Armen Rustamyan noted that the integration into Europe was one of the priorities of the foreign policy of our country, in this aspect, considering useful the experience of the Czech Republic.

The Vice Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic also emphasized the activation of the political, inter-parliamentary and trade-economic relations and cooperation in the legal contractual field. At Mr. Filip’s request, Armen Rustamyan also referred to the Armenian-Turkish protocols, which was signed in Zurich. He once again expressed conviction that the protocols should be only aimed at the establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of the border, and they should not have opportunities of bringing about preconditions by Turkey.