Tuesday, September 23 2014

High-level reciprocal visits to Armenia and Artsakh provide a good opportunity to familiarize with the existing situation on the spot and discuss issues of reciprocal concern in a frank atmosphere, President Serzh Sargsyan said welcoming the President of the France-Armenia friendship group of the French Senate Philippe Kaltenbach and his delegation, on 22 September.

According to the President's press-service, Serzh Sargsyan stated with satisfaction that in recent years the visits of French parliamentarians to Armenia have intensified. According to Serzh Sargsyan, high- level reciprocal visits and contacts provide a good opportunity to familiarize with the existing situation on the spot and discuss issues of reciprocal concern in a frank atmosphere. The RA President also welcomed the fact that during their visits to Armenia more and more French legislators travel to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which according to him, is important in terms of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, being thoroughly informed of the conflict background and sharing those information and impressions with their colleagues.

Philippe Kaltenbach talked with satisfaction about the meetings and discussions held during his busy visit to Armenia, as well as about steps aimed at reinforcing decentralized cooperation. The President of the France-Armenia friendship group in the French Senate underscored that France is an old friend of Armenia and always stands behind him and noted that the parliamentarians will do their best to further strengthen and deepen the bilateral relations.

The parties attached great importance to developing cooperation in the inter-parliamentary format which, according to them, is the pivotal component of the Armenian-France multifaceted interstate agenda. The RA President and the President of the France-Armenia friendship group in the French Senate agreed that the Armenian-French friendship groups in the two countries' parliaments have made a major contribution to that process.

At the meeting, the interlocutors also exchanged opinions on the current geopolitical situation, touched upon regional challenges and the peaceful resolution process of the NKR conflict. In that context, Philippe Kaltenbach expressed the hope that the tripartite meeting to be held on the initiative of French President Francois Hollande in the coming future will certainly help to find new possibilities for the peaceful resolution of the process.