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The RA NA Chief of Staff-Secretary General Ara Saghatelyan had a meeting with the Secretary General of the Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation, President of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP)/Inter-Parliamentary Union Philippe Schwab, who was involved in the delegation of the National Council of the Swiss Confederation being in Armenia during these days.

During the meeting Ara Saghatelyan presented the ongoing reforms in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and in the Staff which stem from the constitutional amendments conditioned by the assumption of the parliament’s new role.

The RA NA Secretary General has noted that the imperative of the reforms in the Staff is conditioned by the necessity of the expert and analytical capabilities and the mechanism development of the parliamentary oversight, and appropriate actions are already carried out in that direction. Ara Saghatelyan also presented to his Swiss colleague the works being done within the Open Parliament initiative.

Underlining the progressive experience of Switzerland in the parliamentary oversight, the Secretary General of the Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation expressed readiness for exchange of experience.

Noting that the Staff of the legislative body of Switzerland has a serious potential of expert capabilities, the Secretary General Philippe Schwab proposed to cooperate in this issue in different working formats with the RA Parliament Staff. The sides discussed the possibilities of long lasting cooperation between the Staffs of the two countries’ parliaments.

The RA NA Secretary General Ara Saghatelyan informed that the Staff of the Armenian Parliament presented a bid for joining the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments, and its discussion is designed during the upcoming meeting of the Executive Committee of the Association in Geneva on March 26, 2018.

Philippe Schwab welcomed the initiative of the RA NA Staff to join the Association, documenting that the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments is an important platform for the cooperation between the Secretaries General and exchange of experience. He underlined that as a President of that structure and member of the executive body, he would refer to the bid of Armenia’s membership with all attention.

At the end of the meeting the sides expressed willingness to continue the working contacts at different levels and develop the cooperation.