On November 21 at the invitation of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport the attaches of education of foreign embassies and representations to Armenia were in the National Assembly. Mr Hovik Abrahamyan, NA President, welcomed the participants of the meeting: “The National Assembly, as a higher representation legislative body of our country, has programmes of strengthening and developing its role not only within the framework of Armenia’s public, but also in the aspect of international cooperation. Today’s initiative of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport is the first systemized step of cooperation between the accredited embassies in Armenia and the substructures of legislative body of our country.

From the first day of achieving our independence numerous countries with their educational and cultural programmes have promoted and promote the development of relevant spheres in Armenia, making join the Armenian community to the European and international community. During this period thousands of citizens of Armenia took part in various events, received numerous international fellowships, many creative groups performed in our country, different kinds of festivals were held.

The National Assembly with this initiative gives a hand for cooperation and joint work to the accredited embassies in Armenia, which implement cultural, educational and scientific programmes and having interest in those spheres.

I am sure that the representation role of the National Assembly in the international sphere will strengthen more due to the contribution of mechanisms on similar partnership.

As President of the National Assembly I express my willingness to support from now in the humanitarian sphere in the implementation of the programmes and involving the national Assembly in these processes.

We’ll consider this meeting as a start of mutual and fruitful cooperation between the National Assembly and you for the civilized dialogue, cultural and educational cooperation between our societies.”
Welcoming the guests then the Committee Chairman Mr Armen Ashotyan noted that the parliament put a task to support the numerous programmes, which implement the embassies functioning in Armenia. Noting that the committee headed by him was engaged in humanitarian sphere in the parliament, Mr Armen Ashotyan expressed his gratitude to the representatives of foreign embassies for the support in educational and cultural spheres and proposed to deepen and make closer the educational-cultural contacts and cooperation. He assured that in the implementation of the programmes the parliament would show necessary support, up to financial, which assured the NA President Mr Hovik Abrahamyan.

Mr Ashotyan introduced the committee members and the spheres of activity.

Among the guests the representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Georgia Ms Nino Aptskhaureli gave speech. She proposed the committee to promote making closer and deepening the cultural ties between two countries. She also asked to hold Days of Georgian Culture in March 2009 in Armenia, which the Committee Chairman Mr Armen Ashotyan gladly accepted .