A parliamentary delegation of Armenia led by Chairman of the National Assembly Ovik Abramnyan will visit Belarus in first half of 2009, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia Grair Karapetyan said during the third session of the Belarusian-Armenian inter-parliamentary commission for cooperation on February 24. According to Grair Karapetyan, the visit will promote even closer inter-parliamentary links between the two countries. He noted that the political contacts between Belarus and Armenia have been developing quite successfully. The sides have been cooperating both on a bilateral basis and in the international arena. Belarus and Armenia have signed more than 60 bilateral treaties, agreements and protocols in all areas, “The potential is quite sufficient to develop the relations further,” Grair Karapetyan said. At the same time, there are many issues that remain unsettled, and though the existing legal-treaty basis is sufficient for expanding cooperation, it requires further polishing, Grair Karapetyan said. The countries have huge potential for boosting cooperation in agriculture, manufacturing industry, technology, culture and other areas. There is a need to intensify regional cooperation. Grair Karapetyan, when meeting with chairmen of the two houses of the Belarusian parliament on February 23, suggested organizing a special conference to discuss regional cooperation between Belarus and Armenia. With a view to intensifying inter-parliamentary links, he suggested exchanging the lists of the delegations of the two countries accredited in the international parliamentary organisations. “The work will be continued in the spirit of mutually beneficial cooperation and will help bring our nations closer,” Grair Karapetyan believes. For his part, deputy chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, Valery Ivanov, said that for further successful development of bilateral cooperation, Belarus and Armenia need to unify regulations, customs clearance, to intensify interaction between business and companies. “We have possibilities and desire. The main point now is to start working,” he said. The key issue on the agenda of the session of inter-parliamentary commission was energy security of Belarus and Armenia. The commission also considered the implementation of previous decisions. The next session will focus on trade, economic and cultural relations between Belarus and Armenia, military and technological cooperation, interaction in science, medicine, health care and agriculture industry.
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