Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Prime Minister Meets with Serbia National Assembly Speaker
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan met today with President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojkovic.
Welcoming the Serbian National Assembly Speaker, Hovik Abrahamyan noted that the Armenian-Serbian friendship is deeply rooted in centuries and, therefore, consistent efforts need to be made to maintain the positive dynamics of bilateral relations, as well as to tap the huge potential available in the economic, cultural, military-technical and other spheres. Highlighting the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the development of bilateral relations, the Prime Minister stressed the need for parliamentary friendship groups to make more active efforts in this direction.
Thankful for a warm reception, Maja Gojkovic concurred in that the Armenian and Serbian peoples boast centuries-old historical and cultural ties that should be bolstered ahead. She deemed it necessary to develop bilateral trade and economic relations, which will be a strong boost for the mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres of activity. In her words, our countries are engaged in an extensive dialogue, including at the parliamentary level.
The interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of economic cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats. In this context, they noted the importance of mutual visits and business contacts.
The parties next discussed issues related to Armenian, Serbian delegations’ collaboration within international organizations. In this context, Prime Minister Abrahamyan underscored that Armenia sees the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict solely within the OSCE Minsk Group format and exclusively through peaceful means. He pointed out that the recourse to any other format might undermine the peace process.
In turn, Maja Gojkovic stressed that Serbia has repeatedly emphasized the importance of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group format, through dialogue and peaceful negotiations.
In conclusion, the Head of the Armenian Government expressed confidence that the Serbian National Assembly Speaker’s visit to Armenia will boost and reinvigorate Armenian-Serbian cooperation.
