Reciprocating the Armenian parliamentary delegation’s visit to Russia last month, this Tuesday the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Ara Babloyan received the delegation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly led by Chairman of the Committee Konstantin Kosachev, the Parliament told Armenian press.
Over the last few decades, national parliaments all over the world have dramatically increased their zone of interests with respect to their counterparts abroad. In fact, issues of foreign relations have frequently become subsidiary to the purview of parliamentary diplomacy as is apparent in the case of Eurasia.
Many a parliamentary delegation take part on a regular basis in the work of international assemblies hosted by countries and international institutions, not to mention the influence they exert in terms of lawmaking input across territories that transcend national borders.
The role of Armenias-Russian parliamentary diplomacy has also been an exemplary case of such formulation. Welcoming their guest delegation, Speaker Babloyan and his officials expressed trust in the inter-parliamentary institution at work. He stated that meetings such as this one contributed greatly to the profound development of Armenian-Russian cooperation.
Armenian Speaker Ara Babloyan (right) and Russian Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev shake hands for a photo shoot (Photo: Armenian National Assembly)
According to Speaker Babloyan, the inter-parliamentary diplomacy of the two countries was grounded in centuries of sound historical ties and firm friendship. The head of parliament also added that the regular exchanges between the two states and their legislatures were playing a key role in the agenda of Armenian-Russian inter-state relations.
In this regard, there was strong sense of appreciation in the air as the joint sessions between the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federal Assembly and the Armenian parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs proceeded with much ease.
The aforementioned parliamentary committees are essentially those bodies that have functioned as a forum for communication between legislators of the two nation-states, making it possible for engagements to happen across a wide range of topical national and international interests.
Speaker Babloyan also placed great importance on the collaborative features of international parliamentary organizations to which both countries’ parliaments subscribe more or else.
In his turn, the head of the Russian delegation, Mr Konstantin Kosachev thanked for the warm welcome and hospitality of their Armenian counterparts returned the gratitude by stating that Armenia has been and will continue to be an “exclusive ally” for Russia.
Mr Kosachev introduced the Armenian Speaker to the various issues discussed at the joint session and highlighted those agenda issues particularly contingent on strategic partnership, security and inter-parliamentary solidarity between the two nations.
Mr Kosachev also stressed the telos of parliamentary diplomacy as mutually beneficial ties in international structures, whereby Russia and Armenia are included in at least seven different international assemblies.
The Russian delegation expressed their hopes that the agenda formulated at the joint sessions would soon come to a cooperative and peaceful resolution. Toward the end, both parties engaged each other across issues regarding future parliamentary cooperation as well.
By MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr) |
