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On July 17 the RA National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov received the State Duma Delegation of the Russian Federation, which on July 18 will leave Yerevan for the NKR to take part in the upcoming presidential elections with Observation Mission.

Welcoming the guests in the National Assembly the NA Deputy Speaker noted that the Russian partners’ visit to Armenia and their expecting participation in the elections of the NKR Head was a joyful fact. He expressed conviction that the delegation members, being in Karabakh, would be convinced on the spot that the Artsakh people, building an independent state, were based on democratic values.

In Eduard Sharmazanov’s word, for centuries the Armenian-Russian relations have been friendly, and today the two countries are not only strategic, but also allied partners. According to him, the bilateral relations are dynamically developing in all directions: in economic, political, humanitarian, cultural and other spheres. In further deepening process of bilateral relations the NA Deputy Speaker greatly highlighted the development of the traditions of the inter-parliamentary close ties.

In the word of the State Duma deputy Alexander Balberov, representing Russia’s Liberal-Democratic party, who has also been observer in the elections of the RA National Assembly held in May and is impressed by their holding at high level, says that first of all their present visit is conditioned by the conviction that only through peace is possible to solve any, including, the NK conflict. According to him, the external, moreover, military interventions are not allowed. “The people should make decision themselves in what country to live, who will lead them, in what way to develop,” Alexander Balberov said, expressing conviction that the NKR President’s elections would be one more manifestation of the Artsakh people’s free will.

Deputy Ivan Sukharev (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia) also underlined the Armenian-Russian warm, friendly relations, and as representative of the young generation in the politics noted that we should strengthen the allied ties by new initiatives and implementation of programmes.

In the word of Artak Zakaryan, Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, taking part in the meeting the decision of the RF State Duma deputies to take part in the NKR Presidential elections as observer is a courageous and appraisable step, as Azerbaijan gives non-adequate assessments to such position. He qualified such posture of this country wrong, as a result of it, more people are interested in the destiny of the NKR, aspiring to get acquainted with the situation and the life of the Artsakh people on the spot. According to Artak Zakaryan, the upcoming elections of the NKR President serve a good index that Artsakh goes on in democratic way. He also highlighted the formation of the atmosphere of mutual trust in the region with joint efforts, to which the parliamentarians’ regular, purposeful contacts could greatly promote.

Denis Dvornikov, member of the RF Public Chamber, who also represents the International Law Association of Russia, noted that in the view of the international law the Karabakh problem has one solution: every nation has the right of self-determination. “There cannot simply be second opinion,” he underlined. In the word of the specialist of the International Law, it’s also necessary to address the joint efforts to this approach to be conveyed and become the conviction of the civil society. In Denis Dvornikov’s word, in the struggle against the historical distortions and restoration of truth and justice the civil structures also have big role. The NA Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov proposed to enliven the cooperation of such structures.

The participants of the meeting also discussed other issues of mutual interest.