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On October 18 the press conference of the RA NA Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly was held, during which details were presented on the works of the NATO PA 61^st Annual Session held in Stavanger (Kingdom of Norway) on October 9-12.

The Head of the RA NA Delegation to NATO PA Koryun Nahapetyan noted that the Delegation took part in the meetings of the political groups, as well as the meetings of the Political Committee, the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security, Defence and Security Committee, Economics and Security Committee and Science and Technology Committee. In the Committees discussions were held over the problems regarding the international and regional security. The Head of the RA NA Delegation noted that they touched upon the crises: including the crisis of Syria, the maintenance of security in Afghanistan and other issues.

Mr Nahapetyan touched upon the report “Russia and Euro-Atlantic Security” discussed in the Political Committee, noting that some wordings regarding the NK conflict caused the anxiety of the Armenian Delegation. “The problem is that there were some wordings on the NK, which do not correspond with the real situation,” Mr Nahapetyan said, adding that in that connection our delegates voiced their concern and presented recommendations in written form. In the report some wordings relating to Russia were presented, which are also connected with the NK conflict: particularly, the conflict submitted in the context of the influence of Russia in the phase of the conflict origin and current phase, as well as the Russian-Ukrainian relations. The parliamentary delegation submitted distinct recommendations, noting that it is wrong to observe all the conflicts in the same context. The Azerbaijani delegation also submitted its recommendations. The moderator interrupted the Azerbaijani delegate, as interpellations were sounded out of the agenda. The key speaker Oyars Kalnins, however, did not take into consideration the submitted recommendations.

Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that, though the report is not the official position of the NATO, however, nevertheless, there are also concerns at the level of the report, and works should be done in order the similar wordings be excluded.

The problem of the crisis deepening in Syria and refugees was also discussed. The Armenian Delegation also submitted its recommendations in connection with certain resolutions being discussed and accepted by the NATO PA. It was proposed that the PA call on the governments and parliaments of the member states to show support to the partner states in giving asylum the refugees who suffered from the wars in the Near East. “The Republic of Armenia accepted more than 16000 refugees, in that issue we have the most serious problem and we expect that the NATO member states show support to Armenia as a partner state,” the Head of the Delegation noted. The proposal of the Armenian Delegation was accepted.

“The works of the NATO PA Annual Session were favourable, irrespective of the fact that in one of the reports there are undesirable wordings for us,” Mr Nahapetyan said. In his word, it became clear from the talk and discussions with the author of the report that the main emphasis is connected with the RF, and there was no intention of making certain emphases on the NK.

Koryun Nahapetyan also informed that in the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security there was a proposal to have one of the visits of the Committee in Armenia next year.

The member of the delegation Tevan Poghosyan made some clarifications on the works of the session.