STATE VISIT OF PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN TO HUNGARY

president.am
Nov 11 2009
Armenia

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan continues his state visit
to Hungary. At the conclusion of the high-level negotiations, in the
evening of November 9, the President of Hungary gave a state dinner
in honor of the President of Armenia.

In Budapest, the President of Armenia met also with the Speaker of
the Hungarian Parliament Bela Katona and the Prime Minister of Hungary
Gordon Bajnai.

At the meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament, stressed was the
importance of developing the interparliamentary ties and cooperation in
the international interparliamentary structures. The two sides noted
with satisfaction that the friendship groups have been formed in both
Parliaments which are functioning quite successfully. The Speaker of
the Hungarian Parliament said that he is familiar with Armenia and he
has had an opportunity to visit our country and get acquainted with
Armenia and her culture as member of the Hungary-Armenia parliamentary
friendship group. At the meeting discussed were also issues related
to the historical and cultural contacts of the two peoples and
similarities between them.

At the meeting with the Prime Minister of Hungary Gordon Bajnai
discussed were opportunities for the invigoration of the economic
cooperation. It was noted that the state visit of the President of
Armenia and high-level negotiations on one hand, and the interagency
agreements signed yesterday in Budapest, the Armenian-Hungarian
business forum and contacts on the other, create a favorable atmosphere
for the development of the economic relations. President Sargsyan
said that Armenia desires to give momentum to the relations with
Hungary on bilateral as well as multilateral levels.

"Centuries-long friendship of the Armenian and Hungarian peoples
is a sound base for developing our relations in the economic and
other areas," noted Serzh Sargsyan. The President of Armenia and
the Prime Minister of Hungary stressed their readiness to support
all practical initiatives and investment projects which will emerge
after the business forum.

President Sargsyan and Prime Minister Bajnai spoke also about the
steps of the governments of the two countries aimed at the mitigation
of the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis and
the current situation with the world economy. The Prime Minister of
Hungary also underscored that Hungary attaches great importance to the
EU Eastern Partnership program and during its EU presidency in 2011
will continue to view it as a priority. In his turn, Serzh Sargsyan
noted that the EU Eastern Partnership program allows on one hand to
develop relations with the European Union and its member states, and
on the other – to foster the reforms in our country. At the request of
the Prime Minister of Hungary Gordon Bajnai, President Serzh Sargsyan
spoke about Armenia’s approaches toward the normalization of relations
with Turkey without preconditions and in a sensible timeframe and the
current phase of the NK peace process. Gordon Bajnai said that Hungary
is welcoming the signing of the Protocols for the normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations and supports that process. He underscored
that peaceful settlement of the regional problems in addition to the
normalization of relations will also change the international standing
of the entire region, promoting stability, development, durable peace,
cooperation, and atmosphere of mutual trust.

President Sargsyan and Prime Minister Bajnai met also with the
participants of the ongoing Armenian-Hungarian business forum,
familiarized with the results of the forum and reached agreements.

In Budapest, the President of Armenia visited also the Primate of
Hungary, Cardinal Peter Erdo. During the meeting with the spiritual
leader of Hungary, President Serzh Sargsyan spoke about the historical
and cultural similarities of the two nations and contacts between
them. President Sargsyan underlined that the church, especially in
the absence of statehood, played a unique and indispensable role in
the Armenian and Hungarian peoples’ fight for freedom. Speaking about
similarities of the two nations, Cardinal Peter Erdo in his turn noted,
"The Armenian and Hungarian peoples have a great experience of rebirth
and rising after centuries of deprivation and sufferings."

Serzh Sargsyan praised the fact that in Hungary our compatriots have
a status of national minority and enjoy all opportunities which come
with that status, preserving their national identity.

In the framework of his state visit to Hungary, the President of
Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and the President of Hungary Lezslo Solyom
participated at the opening ceremony of the exhibition organized
by the Institute of Military History of the Ministry of Defense
of Hungary. The exhibition is dedicated to the history of the
Armenian-Hungarian military interaction. Presidents Sargsyan and
Solyom toured the exhibition and viewed the exhibits.

In the second half of the day, after the conclusion of his state
visit to Hungary, the President of Armenia arrived on a brief working
visit to Kaliningrad at the invitation of the Governor of Kaliningard,
Georgi Boss.