ARMENIA-ARTSAKH PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION
Laura Grigorian
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
02 May 2006
On April 26 the first meeting of the NKR-Armenia Parliamentary
Cooperation Committee took place in the meeting hall of the
NKR government. Speaker Ashot Ghulian thanked the members of the
delegation, led by Deputy Speaker of Armenia Tigran Torossian, who
arrived in NKR for the meeting. He said the parliamentary cooperation
between Armenia and Artsakh started in the years of the war, and is
already sustainable, accomplished and has traditions. It is another
expression of unity of our nation, another manifestation of fulfillment
of our desires and goals. According to the NKR Speaker, the relations
between the parliaments can be considered a serious precondition for
the establishment of external relations of the parliaments of both
Armenia and NKR. “In fact, the cooperation between the parliaments
of Armenia and Artsakh had a considerable progress, contributing
to the strengthening of the Armenian statehood and the ability to
tackle the challenges of the time,” said Ashot Ghulian. He mentioned
that the agreement on the cooperation between the parliaments of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will undergo changes, determined by
the political problems and requirements of the time, which are also
aimed at improvement of effectiveness of contacts between the two
parliaments. The NKR Speaker said the achievements and plans in this
sphere are not limited, and emphasized the importance of clear and
effective continuation of cooperation of the parliaments.
In this context he emphasized the permanent contact among the
representatives of the two parliaments, particularly the meetings of
the parliamentary committee, which are regularly held in Stepanakert
and Yerevan. Ashot Ghulian says there is no need to dwell on the effect
of this cooperation on the improvement of the legislative activity
of both Armenian parliaments, the unity of our people, establishment
of external parliamentary relations and other spheres. In conclusion
the Speaker assured that the recurrent meeting of the committee held
in Stepanakert for the first time will be a new progressive step
in the activities of both parliaments for the sake of the Armenian
people and its well-being. Deputy Speaker of Armenia Tigran Torossian
also commended the fact of meeting in Stepanakert, and emphasized
that the two Armenian states are steadily moving forward. Tigran
Torossian agreed to the idea that it is time to modify the agreement to
correspond to the problems and objectives that the two states have. In
this context, he emphasized the importance of the meeting for the
improvement of further activities of both parliaments. The head of
the Armenian parliamentary delegation assured that the members of
parliament of Armenia will make efforts for not only the effective
activity of the committee but also the unity of the peoples of both
Armenian states in general.
The Deputy Speaker of NKR Rudik Hyusnunts presented the agenda of
the meeting, including the questions of effectiveness of legislative
activities in terms of structural improvement of standing committees
(speakers Yuri Hayrapetian, Chair of the Standing State and Legal
Committee, NKR and Deputy Speaker of Armenia Tigran Torossian),
presently ongoing debates on the Karabakh issue at European
organizations and parliamentary organizations and the possibilities
of fostering cooperation between the two parliaments in this context
(speakers Tigran Torossian and Vahram Atanessian, Chair of the
Standing Committee of External Relations, NKR), and cooperation
of the National Assemblies of NKR and Armenia for drafting the NKR
Constitution (speakers Rudik Hyusnunts, Deputy Speaker of NKR, and
Tigran Torossian, Deputy Speaker of Armenia). On April 27 the second
meeting was scheduled.