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On September 22, Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden to the RA Martina Quick and Chargé d'affaires Mrs Magareta Kristianson.

Welcoming the guests, Artak Zakaryan presented the priorities of the activities of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and underlined the importance of boosting the active cooperation between the parliaments of the two states. The sides also underscored the role and significance of the establishment of the embassies in the two countries as an important guarantee of the development process of bilateral relations.

Touching upon the European direction of Armenia’s foreign policy, the Committee Chairman has noted that the RA National Assembly highly assesses the role of Sweden in the development process of the RA-EU relations. In this context the sides talked about the involvement of the Republic of Armenia in the Eastern Partnership format, as well as the RA NA participation in the works of the Euronest PA.

Referring to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict process, Artak Zakaryan highlighted the balanced approach of Sweden in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Artak Zakaryan also talked about the Armenian Genocide international recognition process, emphasizing the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Riksdag in 2010. In this context the Committee Chair touched upon the commemoration events of the Armenian Genocide Centennial and noted the importance of Sweden’s participation, particularly, referring to the Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide, within the framework of which the Deputy Speaker of Riksdag Esabelle Dingizian presented Sweden and delivered a speech.

During the meeting the sides also discussed the issues regarding the cooperation within the framework of the international organizations. In this context Artak Zakaryan highlighted the negative and neutral position of the Swedish Delegation to PACE related to the voting of the draft resolutions Escalation of Violence in Nagorno Karabakh and the Other Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan , as well as Residents of Borderline Regions of Azerbaijan are Deliberately Deprived of Water on January 26, 2016.

During the talk issues relating to the necessity of enlivening of economic ties were also discussed.

At the end of the meeting Ambassador Quick emphasized the deepening of the relations between the parliaments of the two countries and expressed readiness to promote the development of bilateral ties.

The parties made agreements for mutual visits and further cooperation in the future.

The Armenian side expressed willingness to host the Swedish counterparts.