President Serzh Sargsyan Welcomes Lithuania Seimas Member Dalia Kuodite

President Serzh Sargsyan received today a delegation led by member of the Lithuanian Seimas (Parliament), chairwoman of the friendship group with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Dalia Kuodite.

Welcoming the guests to our country, the President said to be pleased that the Armenian-Lithuanian relations are developing dynamically, with a solid legal framework up for interaction and cooperation between the two countries, continued high-level political dialogue, regular consultations held between the foreign ministries, reciprocated visits paid at various levels, as well as diplomatic missions operating in both countries. In this context, the parties stressed the need to boost inter-parliamentary ties.

Serzh Sargsyan thanked the Lithuanian parliamentarians, who apart from establishing a parliamentary friendship group with Armenia, have set up a friendship group with the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which, according to the President, is extremely important and is reminiscent of the Armenian and Lithuanian peoples’ solidarity and mutual support on their way to independence in late 1980s and early 1990s. In the President’s words, this points to Lithuanian people’s commitment to democratic values.

Thanking President Sargsyan for the warm welcome and hospitality, the Lithuanian MP said both her colleagues from Seimas and herself were keen on getting through to the Lithuanian society the whole truth about Artsakh and the Karabakh conflict. In this context, she noticed that the launch of the friendship group and the visits to Artsakh were aimed at the very goal of promoting a dialogue between the conflicting sides. She stressed that in her firm belief the two sides should listen to each other, discuss the existing problems in order to bring about a negotiated settlement.

In addition to issues related to bilateral relations and the prospects for expanded cooperation, at the guests’ request, Serzh Sargsyan briefed them on Armenia’s foreign policy priorities and our country’s position on a number of issues. The interlocutors took the opportunity to exchange views on regional and international developments.