1 / 2
Video

On July 12 RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and the delegation led by him.

Welcoming Mr Zannier’s visit to Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan noted that our country highlighted the cooperation with the OSCE, as well as the support of the organization in the process of the democratic reforms going on in our country. The NA Speaker highly appreciated the RA NA-OSCE effective cooperation with different formats and emphasized the role of the OSCE PA in the development of the inter-parliamentary dialogue.

The interlocutors touched upon the parliamentary and forthcoming presidential elections held in Armenia. The OSCE Secretary General positively assessed the parliamentary elections, noting that they had enjoyed the international observers’ positive assessment and proposed the OSCE advisory assistance in the upcoming presidential elections. Hovik Abrahamyan expressed conviction that the authorities would succeed to hold presidential elections in accordance with democratic standards, including also OSCE/ODIHR practical cooperation, as well as their assistance in more strengthening the democratic institutions and processes in Armenia.

Touching upon the regional problems the OSCE Secretary General stressed that the NK conflict should be settled exclusively as a result of peaceful negotiations and expressed his support in the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group. He expressed his strict concern in connection with the incidents in the line of contact and deemed necessary the snipers’ withdrawal from the line of contact, considering inadmissible the use of force and encroachments towards the peaceful population. The NA Speaker stressed that Armenia emphasized the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ mediation as a practical and only format of negotiating process. In his word, our country is consistent to the settlement of the problem only through peaceful means and highlights the regional peace and security. The sides reserved an important role in the problem of the settlement of the conflicts the parliamentary diplomacy.

In the meeting other issues were also discussed.