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On March 28 in the National Assembly the third joint sitting of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and the RF State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots was launched.

The Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan in his welcome speech has highlighted the holding of the joint sitting of the two Committees, noting that it is an important platform to discuss issues of common interest for the two societies. He has wished effective work to the participants of the sitting.

Vache Gabrielyan, the RA Vice Prime Minister, the RA Minister of International Economic Integration and Reforms, the RA National Coordinator on CIS Affairs, member of the Eurasian Economic Committee, has noted that Armenia’s full participation in the EEU is observed as a format of development of predictable and maximum mutually beneficial relations based on the free turnover of goods, services, capital and work force. According to the Vice Prime Minister, the EEU, perhaps, in the geographical aspect, is the biggest economic union. Nevertheless, Vache Gabrielyan believes that the Union still has unrealized huge potential. The Vice Prime Minister also touched upon the perspectives of Armenia within the EEC framework and noted: “We realize that the integration processes will require big efforts and we should use the potential of cooperation for that in all possible formats.”

The Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots Leonid Slutsky has underlined that the two committees have already done voluminous work during the two joint sittings. He has emphasized the cooperation in international platforms and making the bilateral meetings more regular.

The RA Minister of Economy Emil Tarasyan, the member of the RF FA Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Ties with Compatriots Vasily Likhachev and the member of the EEC Board Karine Minasyan delivered speeches on “Perspectives of the Economic Cooperation and Development within the Eurasian Economic Union.”

Emil Tarasyan presented the amendments which were made to the RA legislation, aiming at complying it with the requirements of the EEC Treaty. By Vasily Likhachev’s assessment, the EEC envisages strengthening of the national self-sovereignty and development of national economies. Mr Likhachev emphasized the activation of the parliamentary cooperation within the EEC framework. He proposed the Armenian and Russian MPs to elaborate and submit the ideology of the EEC and with that promote the dialogue between the EEC and the EU. Karine Minasyan presented the directions, which should be developed within the EEC framework for putting the coperation on more efficient and multilateral bases.

Anatoly Fomenko, Deputy Head of the RF Federal Migration Service, and Gagik Yeganyan, Head of the Migration State Service of the RA Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations, delivered speeches on “Labour Migration and the RA Citizens’ Free Movement Issues within the Eurasian Economic Union Area.”

Anatoly Fomenko talked about the positive results recorded in the migration sphere. According to him, in compliance with inner-state agreement signed by the RF President on March 8, the RA citizens, who intend to work in the RF and are deprived of the necessity of formulating relevant working permission. Anatoly Fomenko has informed that now there are about half a million RA citizens in the RF, the majority of which has come for job.

Gagik Yeganyan has noted that the migration processes today are classified among the most concerning phenomena with its volumes and consequences, and their settlement is considered one of the prior directions of the Government activity. It has been noted that the RA citizens’ majority in the RF is engaged in the construction sphere. Gagik Yeganyan has talked about the RA-RF migration move and the problems of the RA citizens having entry ban to the RF.

The member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Armen Rustamyan made a report “The Cooperation in Parliamentary Platforms ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.” Touching upon the genocide policy perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey he has opined that modern Turkey, pursuing denial policy, willingly becomes the legal successor of the Ottoman Empire and takes the whole burden of responsibility. By Mr Rustamyan’s conviction, the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is not only the problem of two sides, it is a challenge to the whole civilized humankind.

During the exchange of opinions the Armenian and Russian MPs talked about the peculiarities of Armenia’s membership to the EEC Treaty, the works done in the integration, problems and challenges, the EEC-EU cooperation, the necessity of the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. The MPs spotlighted the activation of cooperation in different spheres within the EEC framework and the frequent organization of meetings in such formats.

At the end of the sitting the deputies made a joint statement.

The results of the sitting were summed up at the joint press conference of Artak Zakaryan and Leonid Slutsky.