1 / 1

On February 6, the RA NA President Ara Babloyan and the President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Dominique de Buman had a joint press conference.

Ara Babloyan touched upon the inter-parliamentary cooperation, highlighting the activities of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

The RA NA President noted that in 2018 Armenia would preside over the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), and its Summit would be held in autumn in Yerevan: this is one of the important platforms of the Armenian-Swiss cooperation.

Touching upon Dominique de Buman’s speech during the sitting of the RA National Assembly today, Ara Babloyan underlined the recognition and the condemnation of the Armenian Genocide voiced in his colleague’s speech, the adoption of the bill criminalizing the denial and the importance of the approaches concerning the NK problem settlement.

The RA NA President has noted that the only solution of the NK problem is through the peaceful negotiations, under the auspice of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Talking about Armenia-EU Agreement, the RA NA President has noted that it will give an opportunity to deepen and expand the ties with Europe. He has highly assessed the role of Switzerland in spreading of democracy, documenting that the Swiss MPs vote for democracy and peace on the inter-parliamentary platforms.

The President of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation Dominique de Buman noted that it was for the first time that such a delegation from Switzerland visited Armenia, though the friendship and the cooperation had begun from 1988. In Dominique de Buman’s word, the Armenian-Swiss relations turn into a new phase, and its start is given with this visit.

Mr Buman has highlighted the opening of the Armenian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce last year and its activities, noting that the spheres of agriculture and wine-making, high technologies and restoring energy are at the centre of the Swiss businessmen’s attention.

He has touched upon the increase of the volumes of the goods turnover between Switzerland and Armenia; documenting that, first of all, the welfare of Armenia begins from the welfare of the economic welfare.

Dominique de Buman has assured that Switzerland will always be next to Armenia, for passing the started path. He has expressed conviction that, according to Swiss tradition, the economic development will come with the opening of the borders.

The heads of the parliaments of the two countries answered the questions concerning the journalists which related to the volumes Armenia-Switzerland goods turnover, the Armenian-Turkish protocols, the violations of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan and the response of the international community.