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On January 20, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security Andranik Kocharyan met with the delegation led by the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Armenia Lynne Tracy, where also were the Military Attaché of the Embassy Scott Maxwell and the Political-Economic Officer Kim Zapfel.

Touching upon the prior problems existing as a consequence of war, Andranik Kocharyan has underlined that it is necessary to make all possible efforts for implementing the captives' exchange. “The issue of the prisoners of war is an important humanitarian problem, which shall be solved by using all possible ways as soon as possible,” he stressed.

The interlocutors also talked about the involvement of the terrorists and mercenaries from the Near East by Azerbaijan in the war. “The participation of the mercenaries from Syria and other countries of the Near East in the war is undeniable, and that fact has been confirmed by the special services of the leading countries of the world, as France and the Russian Federation. In fact, in this war the Defense Army has fought against Azerbaijan, Turkey, terrorists and the Israeli newest armament,” Andranik Kocharyan noted.

“As OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair, the United States will work in finding long lasting political solution in the Nagorno Karabakh issue. We shall try to reach a dialogue at different levels on this path,” Lynne Tracy noted.

The Committee Chair stated that the guarantee for ensuring security in the region could be the specification of the Nagorno Karabakh status, and at this moment, works should be already done in that direction.

At the end of the meeting issues regarding the ensuring of security for economic relations, the legislative initiatives aimed at the reforms of the RA Armed Forces, as well as the institutional educational possibilities of the sergeant staff with the support of the Embassy were discussed.