Armenian Deputy Speaker, Montenegro’s Deputy PM for Foreign and European Affairs discuss cooperation

Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hakob Arshakyan met on Tuesday with the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Montenegro, Filip Ivanović.

Welcoming the guest, the Deputy Speaker emphasized the development of multilateral cooperation with Montenegro as an important direction of Armenia's foreign policy.

As part of bilateral relations, Arshakyan highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy as a strong indicator of mutual commitment to strengthening ties, the Parliament said in a readout.

During the meeting, Arshakyan addressed the draft law on launching Armenia's membership in the EU, commending the fact that the draft law, submitted to Parliament through a civil initiative, successfully passed all the necessary internal procedures and was adopted by the National Assembly in the second reading.

Arshakyan also briefed his Montenegrin counterpart on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, the Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held captive in Azerbaijan, and the sham trials being conducted against them. The “Crossroads of Peace” project was also discussed.

Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović noted that this was his first visit to Armenia and expressed gratitude for the warm welcome.

“The desire to develop cooperation between the governments of the two countries is great,” he said.

Ivanović welcomed and congratulated the Armenian people on the adoption of the draft law launching Armenia’s accession process to the EU.

The meeting also focused on active cooperation and reciprocal visits between the parliamentary friendship groups. The two sides exchanged ideas on the potential and prospects for developing cooperation in education, science, and high-tech sectors.

Both parties emphasized the need to realize the existing potential for cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by Arsen Torosyan, Head of the Armenia-Montenegro Friendship Group of the National Assembly of Armenia.