Speaker Simonyan meets Croatian FM, highlights need to ensure CoE officials' access into Nagorno Karabakh

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan held a meeting with visiting Foreign Minister of Croatia Gordan Grlić Radman.

The need for multi-sector cooperation aimed at bilateral relations was discussed, according to a read-out issued by the parliament’s press service.

Simonyan noted that there’s been only one visit on the level of Speaker of Parliament of Croatia to Armenia in 2011 and proposed to intensity inter-parliamentary relations.

The role of friendship groups in active dialogue between the parliaments of the two countries was discussed.

Simonyan and the Croatian FM spoke about the post-war situation, the Lachin corridor crisis, the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia’s sovereign territory and the dangers facing the 120,000 Armenians living in Nagorno Karabakh, and the continuous aggressive policy by Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijan’s policy of barring international organizations, including humanitarian organizations from accessing Artsakh is unacceptable. We strongly believe that it is necessary for Council of Europe officials and institutions to have the opportunity to visit Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the human rights situation,” Simonyan said.

The opportunities for partnership in international arenas were also discussed. Prospects of mutually-beneficial cooperation in education, science, trade and tourism was discussed. “I think launching direct flights will contribute to development of tourism in both directions,” Simonyan added.