YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on April 29 received the delegation led by Marek Benda, the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the Armenian Parliament told Armenpress.

Welcoming the guests in parliament, Speaker Mirzoyan has expressed conviction that the full program of the visit will give an opportunity to the Czech colleagues to get acquainted with the realities and developments which exist in new Armenia. He highly assessed the ties between the two parliaments, noting that this visit and the Parliamentary Friendship Group formed recently would be a new impetus for further cooperation.

The President of the National Assembly has thanked the guest for the ratification of Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, underlining that Armenia highlights it very much and expects active cooperation in its complete implementation.

The Speaker of Parliament has considered symbolic that the Czech deputies' authoritative delegation visited Armenia in the days when the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is commemorated. He expressed his gratitude to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, which recognized the Armenian Genocide, mentioning it among the crimes against humankind.

“The Armenian side is faithful for the principle of regulating the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through exclusively peaceful negotiations,” Ararat Mirzoyan has noted that the Armenian authorities expect from the international community balanced position and support to the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

“We have come to see the steps and get acquainted with the programs, which are implemented in new Armenia after the velvet revolution,” Marek Benda, who is also the Head of the Czech Republic-Armenia of the Czech Republic, has noted. He presented the events that were held in the Czech Republic on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, where the Czech MPs also took part and delivered speeches.

“All the conflicts, including the NK conflict should be solved exclusively through peaceful means. The Czech Republic backs the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs' efforts,” Marek Benda assured.

The Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs has presented the reforms which were implemented in the country in the post-revolutionary period, underlining that every state has its peculiarities of passing that path. He expressed hope that Armenia-EU Agreement would give new opportunities not in the united, but also in the bilateral cooperation format.

At the guests' request the Speaker of Parliament has touched upon the priorities, which are directed at the reforms being implemented in different spheres, strengthening of democracy, coordinated and consistent fight against corruption, steps taken for the development of economy and recovery and independence of the judicial system.

The sides also referred to the potential existing for the development of bilateral relations, particularly the trade-economic cooperation.

Ararat Mirzoyan has reaffirmed the invitation of the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Radek Vondráček for visiting Armenia, underscoring that the development of the parliamentary relations has a special role in further deepening and expanding the ties between the two countries.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan