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Armand de Decker: “The Parliament of Belgium is always next to Armenia.”

On July 12, the working visit of the delegation led by RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan to Brussels. The Head of NA delegation in Euronest, the Chairman of NA Foreign Relations Armen Rustamyan, the member of Armenia-EU Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Artak Zakaryan, the Chief of NA Staff Gegham Gharibjanyan, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arman Kirakosyan are in the delegation.

RA National Assembly President Hovik Abrahamyan on the first day of the working visit to Brussels met with the President of the Senate of Belgium Armand de Decker.

Greeting his counterpart, the President of the Senate of Belgium Armand de Decker noted that Belgium focused on the development of bilateral and multilateral relations with Armenia. He considered necessary the deepening of cooperation between parliaments, which also greatly promoted his official visit to Yerevan in 2009. The President of the Senate expressed hope that Hovik Abrahamyan’s next visit to Brussels would be official and confirmed his invitation of the official visit.

Thanking for warm reception RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan noted with satisfaction the high level of bilateral relations between Armenia and Belgium. Mr. Abrahamyan emphasized the development and deepening of cooperation between the two parliaments, the cooperation within PACE and OSCE PA framework, as well as in Euronest being implemented under aegis of the European Parliament within the framework of the European Union Eastern Partnership. He also highlighted the activation of cooperation in trade-economic and other spheres. The NA President stressed the effective presidency of Belgium during the last years in international structures, in particular in OSCE and UN Security Council, expressing confidence that the presidency of Belgium in the European Union would also be effective. We’ll note that RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan was the first high-ranking official, who visited Brussels after Belgium assuming the presidency in the European Union.

During the meeting the sides also discussed regional problems. Mr. Abrahamyan presented Armenia’s approaches in the issue of Artsakh problem, as well as in the relations with neighbouring countries. The NA President stressed that Armenia repeatedly stated that the problem should be settled through peaceful negotiations, to which Azerbaijan greatly impeded with his frequently sounded bellicose announcements. He expressed concern that the international community did not give adequate assessment to the actions of Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the settlement process of the Armenian-Turkish relations Armand de Decker highly assessed Armenia’s brave and initiative policy for establishing relations with Turkey without preconditions, noting that proposing preconditions by Turkey caused disappointment in the European Union. The President of the Senate stressed that the Belgian Parliament was always next Armenia, about which also documented the adoption of the Resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Belgian Parliament in 1998.

During the meeting the sides discussed other of bilateral interest too.

Hovik Abrahamyan walked in the Senate accompanied Armand de Decker. He was in the session hall. The NA President left a note in the Book of Honorable Guests.

At the end of the meeting the heads of the two parliaments answered the journalists’ questions.

Summing up the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan noted that the political relations with Belgium had always been at a high level and expressed conviction that from now on the cooperation would develop and deepen in all directions, too. He underlined that Armenia had adopted the European integration policy and continued the reforms directed to deepening of democracy. Touching upon the regional developments, Mr. Abrahamyan noted that in European and international structures lack of accurate information is felt.

In response to the question concerning the Armenian-Turkish relations’ normalization Mr. Decker answered: “I regret very much that the active diplomacy did not succeed because of Turkey, which proposed new conditions about Nagorno Karabakh at the moment, when practically it should ratify the protocols, which have already been ready, and signed. It is disappointing that Turkey did not want to advance in the normalization of relations with Armenia.”

Touching upon the relations with Armenia Mr. Decker said: During the presidency of Belgium in the European Union we would like to deepen the relations with Armenia. We think that they are essential relations, for Armenia, as well as for the European Union, which wishes to improve its relations with a country, with which we are related, first of all, with special relations, with very active community in Europe, as well as with political and strategic interests.”

On the same day RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan met with the deputies of the European Parliament, rapporteurs on Armenia Tomasz Poreba and Charles Tannock. Telling the rapporteurs about our country RA NA President noted that the traditions, spiritual values and the European values, the democracy, human rights and honouring of the based on them, have a big role in the Armenian reality.

Hovik Abrahamyan thoroughly presented the peaceful process of NK conflict and the developments concerning the Armenian-Turkish relations’ normalization.

Mr. Poreba and Tannock ensured that they would do their utmost, in order to present unbiased information to the European Parliament about the stance of the Armenians side. The sides considered impressible the existence of the closed borders in Europe in the 21^st century.