On February 25 RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan met Jan Kubisch, OSCE Secretary General. During the meeting the sides highlighted the contacts and cooperation and discussed the issues of mutual interest and importance. In the frames of the development of democracy in Armenia, Mr. Kubisch highlighted the constitutional amendments and the adoption of the Electoral Code by the experts’ proposal and promised the OSCE promotion in those processes. He also presented the envisaged issue of the reforms in OSCE, as a response to which RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan noted that Armenia is for all those reforms, which will make OSCE activity more productive. By the request of Mr. Kubisch RA NA President also touched upon NKR conflict noting that Armenia is for peaceful negotiation settlement of the conflict and sees the settlement in the framework of OSCE, as they see the history of the issue and the peculiarities in that structure in the best way. The meetings and negotiations of two presidents and NKR people’s participation in the negotiation process were highlighted.
During the meeting other issues were also discussed.
During the meeting with Alcee Hastings, President of OSCE PA, the issues related to the South Caucasus Regional Security and cooperation were discussed, in this framework the democratic reforms and the deepening of Euro Integration were highlighted.The fulfillment of the concrete programmes between OSCE PA and RA NA were highlighted in the main three directions: first - the continual promotion of OSCE to legislative reforms implemented in Armenia, second - exchange of experience and information for NA Standing Committees and the staff and the third - an agreement was reached on holding a Parliamentary international conference under the auspices of OSCE PA on the occasion of RA NA Parliament’s 15th anniversary. In the nearest future the OSCE PA President Alcee Hastings’s visit to South Caucasus and also to Armenia is envisaged.
The ceremony of donation of ambulance was held in the municipality of Vienna. Artur Baghdasaryan, President of the National Assembly, expressed his gratitude to the municipality of Vienna for such an important and useful aid, taking the key of the car said that the car will be sent to one of the regional hospitals of Armenia for first-aid medical services in rural areas. An agreement was reached to continue.
In the higher school of tourism and management of Austria an agreement was reached on contribution of new Austrian technologies in the higher educational system of Armenia in the sphere of tourism. In the nearest future meetings and discussions will be held in this connection.
RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan had a working meeting with Nino Burjanadze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, during which an agreement was reached related to forthcoming mutual visits, as well as it was decided in the nearest future to activate the works of the Armenian-Georgian Inter-Parliamentary Standing Committee.
During the meeting with the Head of OSCE German delegation the cooperation problems of activating the Armenian-German Inter-Parliamentary ties in the international structures were discussed.
Within the framework of RA NA President’s official visit to Austria a meeting with Hubert Hrabchik, First Deputy of the Health Minister is also envisaged. During the meeting an agreement was reached to open a diabetic center in Gyumri children’s hospital, as well as training of the medical staff of Gyumri.
The Ministry of Health of Austria will undertake the list of the needs of medical equipment of the regional hospitals of Armenia, and an agreement was reached that the needs of the regional hospitals will be met as far as it is possible.
During the day also a meeting is envisaged with the members of the Armenian Community of Austria and the members of Mkhitarian congregation.
RA NA Artur Baghdasaryan’s official visit to Austria was widely illustrated through Austrian mass media and there were publications in the newspapers.
On February 25 the delegation returned to Yerevan.
