10:48,

YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with Speaker of the Senate (upper house of parliament) of Poland Tomasz Grodzki on the sidelines of his official visit in Warsaw, the Foreign Ministry said in a news release.

During the meeting the sides agreed that the close parliamentary cooperation plays an important role in enriching the agenda of the Armenian-Polish inter-state relations and further deepening the friendly ties. In this respect the importance of maintaining active mutual visits and contacts at different levels was emphasized.

FM Mirzoyan presented the ongoing reforms of the Armenian government aimed at strengthening democracy, protecting human rights and ensuring rule of law.

In his turn Tomasz Grodzki said that he fully supports Armenia on the path to democratic progress.

During the meeting FM Mirzoyan introduced Tomasz Grodzki on the current situation in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone and the position of the Armenian side over the settlement of the NK conflict and the normalization of the relations with Azerbaijan. Ararat Mirzoyan said that Azerbaijan’s maximalist rhetoric distorts the efforts aimed at establishing regional stability and peace.

Touching upon the post-war humanitarian problems, the Armenian FM stressed the necessity of the urgent release and repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held in Azerbaijan, as well as the preservation of Armenian historical-cultural and religious heritage in the territories that have come under the Azerbaijani control.

It was stated that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be solved peacefully around a negotiation table.

Tomasz Grodzki expressed readiness to support the efforts of achieving peace.