PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF IT, AGRICULTURE, SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS
ARE ATTACHED IMPORTANCE IN ARMENIAN-INDIAN RELATIONS
DELHI, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. Meetings of the delegation headed by
RA NA Speaker Tigran Torosian started on December 13 in Delhi, the
capital of India. Ashot Kocharian, the Ambassador of Armenia to India
takes part in them. The Parliament of India, Sansad, consists of two
houses: the Rajya Sagha, the Council of States (250 members), and the
Lok Sabha, the House of the People (545 members). Issues of
development of the interstate and interparliamentary relations were
discussed during the meeting with Somnath Chatterjee, the Speaker of
the House of the People. Mr.Chatterjee, welcoming the high-ranking
guest at the Parliament of India, touched upon the newest developments
of the Armenian-Indian friendship, having two thousand-year history,
mentioning generality of viewpoints and interests, the two sides’
faithfulness to solution of problems based on peace and cooperation in
international relations. He expressed gratitude for the assistance
shown by India in the issue of membership to the UN Security Council
and readiness to assist the UN reformation from now on as well. The
Lok Sabha Speaker attached importance to the two sides’ united
position in the anti-terrorism struggle, mentioning that India is
inflexible in spreading peace and well-being, in policy of widening
cooperation between the peoples. Mr.Chatterjee touched upon the
necessity of development of science, high technologies, trade and
economic ties, mentioning that five hundred of Indian students get
education in Armenia. National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian
mentioned in the return speech that it is interesting and useful to be
in one of ancient cradles of civilization. The NA Speaker touched upon
the active and effective cooperation of the two countries, mentioning
that time and developments open new perspectives of deepening of the
economic, scientific, cultural ties of Armenia and India. Deepening of
the economic ties was attached importance within that context: growth
of the goods circulation volumes, giving of three hundred of Indian
tractors were mentioned with praise. It was mentioned that the
cooperation and mutual assistance will continue in international
structures. Mr.Torosian emphasized the balanced and impartial posture
of India concerning the South Caucasian region, and, particularly,
such a delicate issue as the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is. The
interlocutors expressed mutual confidence that Armenia will continue
assistance to international organizations of India, particularly, at
the UN, and similar assistance will be shown to Armenia by India. The
RA NA Speaker also mentioned that a group of parliamentary friendship
with India functions at the Parliament of Armenia, and added that
creation of a similar group at the Parliament of India would support
development of the interparliamentary ties. During the meeting the
sides also touched upon the cooperation of the two parliaments’ staffs
and exchange of experience. According to the information submitted to
Noyan Tapan by the RA NA Public Relations Department, the
parliamentary delegation headed by Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosian took part on December 14 in sitting of the Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha of India, during which the those presiding the
sittings addressed welcome speeches in honour of the National Assembly
Speaker and the delegation headed by him. The National Assembly
delegation had a meeting with Lal Krishna Advani, the Indian Sansad
opposition leader as well. Mr.Advani mentioned that time by time he
has opportunities to make sure that there are differences among
parliaments of different countries, but the meeting with the Armenian
National Assembly Speaker strengthens the friendship and assures that
there are no differences between Armenia and India: Armenia is a
friendly and democratic country. T.Torosian mentioned that the two
countries unite the common values what is the most interesting.
Mr.Torosian attached importance to the visit to India not only as a
rear possibility of direct contact with one of the most ancient
civilizations, but also as a possibility of future development of the
relations with a country which has an important role in the world
policy and is famous with the widest democracy.
He mentioned that the democracy in Armenia is still young, it is only
fifteen years that the independence of the country was re-established,
but it is already obvious that with presence of democracy parliaments
has a great role, and parliaments may be considered formed if the role
and meaning of the opposition is great there. At the NA Speaker’s
request, Mr.Advani gave information about the activity of the
opposition at the Indian Parliament. Advani himself has been in the
sphere of policy for more than half-century and during those years he
only once (during six year) was in the authorities staff, on the
Deputy Prime Minister’s post, the opposition headed by him has one
hundred thirty-eight votes at the Parliament /the ruling party has one
hundred forty-five votes/, according to the Parliament regulations,
the opposition head has a Minister’s status. Mr.Advani mentioned that
in some countries the opposition is perceived as a country
enemy. Fortunately, it is not like this either in India or in Armenia,
otherwise, the head of the legislative power of Armenia would not meet
with the opposition head, having an opposition representative in its
delegation. At the request of RA National Assembly delegation member
Alexan Karapetian, Mr.Advani presented the regulations rights of the
opposition at the Parliament of India. Bhairon Singh Shakhawat, the
Vice-President of India, Rajya Sabha Speaker, welcoming his Armenian
friends, attached importance to the existence of active democracy in
the two countries, which very quickly responds problems of the
country. He qualified the Armenian-Indian interparliamentary ties as
friendly and heartfelt ones, expressing confidence that the NA
Speaker’s visit will strengthen the relations aimed to progress and
development. NA Speaker Tigran Torosian, expressing gratitude for the
invitation and reception, mentioned that Mr.Shakhawat’s visit to
Armenia became a start for a good tradition for continuation of which
all the preconditions exist. He expressed a wish that this tradition
is spread not only on parliaments but on peoples’ friendship as
well. Mr.Torosian mentioned that the cooperation of the Parliaments
completes wonderful ties of the two states: the cooperation in
international structures, commercial and economic, scientific-cultural
relations, and expressed a confidence that natural continuation for
development of interparliamentary ties will be activization of the
intergovernmental commission the last sitting of which was convened
three years ago. He also expressed a hope that to strengthen the
interparliamentary ties, a group of deputies’ friendship with Armenia,
like the one acting at the RA National Assembly, will be formed in the
Parliament of India. The NA Speaker expressed satisfaction with the
fact that the two countries and peoples have complete mutual
perception on such delicate issues as the Nagorno Karabakh and Kashmir
problems are. Bhairon Singh Shakhawat, the Vice-President of India,
Rajya Sabha Speaker agreed with the NA Speaker, qualifying the
cooperation as excellent one. He expressed gratitude for the
assistance shown when joining the UN Security Council and attached
importance to prospects of development of the information
technologies, agriculture, small and medium business. Other issues
which are mutually attached importance to where also discussed during
the meeting. The delegation members laid a wreath in Rajhat to the
monument to Mahatma Gandhi, NA Speaker Tigran Torosian left a writing
in the honourary guests’ register.