12:27, 8 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 8, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan received today Ambassador of Estonia to Armenia Riina Kaljurand, the Parliament’s press service said.

During the meeting the priorities of the mutual partnership between the parliaments of the two countries and the continuation of the cooperation within parliamentary diplomacy were discussed at the meeting.

“We always follow the activity of the Parliament of Estonia and attach great importance to any statement or any other demonstration around the sensitive issues for us”, the Armenian Speaker of Parliament told the Estonian Ambassador. He commented on the visit of the Estonian Speaker of Parliament Jüri Ratas to Shushi this May, calling it “extremely concerning”.

According to Alen Simonyan, the statements made by Mr. Ratas in Shushi not only do not reflect the breath of the friendly relations existing between Armenia and Estonia, but also contradict to Estonia’s official support to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The Speaker told the Ambassador that he has sent a letter to the Estonian Speaker of Parliament on this occasion, where he explained the essence of the conflict and the consequences of the 2020 devastating war. Alen Simonyan expressed hope that his Estonian counterpart will visit Armenia in the future and will get acquainted with the situation, as well as will meet with officials representing Nagorno Karabakh.

In her turn the Ambassador of Estonia expressed hope that there will be a chance to discuss all these issues with the Speaker of Parliament of Estonia in the future. She conveyed the official invitation of the Estonian Speaker of Parliament addressed to his Armenian counterpart, and in response Alen Simonyan again repeated the desire to see his Estonian counterpart in Armenia and accepted the mutual invitation with pleasure.