YEREVAN, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia, the Co-Chair of the Armenia-Estonia Parliamentary Friendship Group Eduard Sharmazanov received the Chair of the National Defence Committee of the Parliament of Estonia Hannes Hanso and the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson on May 30.

As “Armenpress” was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, welcoming the Estonian parliamentarians in the National Assembly, Eduard Sharmazanov noted that in the last years a serious progress has been registered in the Armenian-Estonian inter-parliamentary relations. He expressed his gratitude for the organization of the exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the National Library of Estonia and for the concert in the Saint John’s Church of Tallinn. The Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia highly appreciated those steps taken by the authorities of Estonia and expressed hope that soon Estonia will be among the countries that recognized the Armenian Genocide.

Touching upon the Armenia-EU relations, Eduard Sharmazanov has noted that Armenia is positively inclined to the bilateral relations. The Vice President of the Armenian parliament highly assessed the role of the EU in terms of the institutional reforms being implemented in Armenia.

Talking about the regional problems, Eduard Sharmazanov has noted that Turkey, disregarding all international obligations, keeps closed the border with Armenia, and in recent years the policy pursued by the Turkish authorities destabilizes the situation in the region.

Referring to the Nagorno Karabakh issue, Sharmazanov reaffirmed the position of Armenia: as Europe, so too Armenia refuses the military solution of the problem.

Eduard Sharmazanov, talking about the military aggression perpetrated towards Nagorno Karabakh by Azerbaijan last year in April, documented that a few days ago for the first time the OSCE Minsk Group gave a targeted assessment to Azerbaijan’s steps destabilizing the situation in the region.

According to the National Assembly Vice President, Azerbaijan should recognize the right of Artsakh people to live freely and independently. And today Artsakh people fight for freedom and independence.

The Chair of the National Defence Committee of the Parliament of Estonia Hannes Hanso noted that the Framework Agreement with Armenia will be signed in the EU during the presidency of Estonia and it is a big responsibility to assume the EU presidency. He touched upon the deepening of cooperation between the EU countries within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, visa liberalization, and holding of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels.

At the end of the meeting Eduard Sharmazanov touched upon the Constitutional amendments, parliamentary system of government and the bills to be debated in the parliament in the future.