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On June 13, the RA NA President Ara Babloyan received the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.

Welcoming James Appathurai in the National Assembly, Ara Babloyan has documented that the relations with NATO are based on partnership.

According to the RA NA President’s words, Armenia’s participation in the Partnership for Peace program is assessed as an important component of the multi-layer security system of our country. In this context, Ara Babloyan highlighted Armenia’s participation in the peace-keeping actions in Kosovo and Afghanistan and noted: “Due to peace-keeping actions we have our important contribution in ensuring international peace and security, turning from security consumer to security producer.”

In his word, the RA NA President has noted that Armenia intends to increase the current rate of its cooperation with NATO, paying special attention to the implementation of Armenia-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan, as well as its involvement in the international actions with the participation of NATO.

Ara Babloyan has emphasized the parliamentary cooperation format and noted that since becoming NATO Parliamentary Assembly Associate member in 2002 the RA National Assembly Delegation has actively participated in the works of the organization: the Rose-Roth Seminar was held three times in our country and NATO PA Committees’ visits took place.

The RA NA President expressed hope that Armenia’s participation in NATO and NATO PA programs will promote stable progress in our country, democratic and institutional reforms. In this context, Ara Babloyan has recorded that today Armenia is a state, which does not create any problems for the world, but actively takes part in the processes of ensuring peace in the world.

The NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai thanked Ara Babloyan for the reception and congratulated him on being elected President of the National Assembly. James Appathurai assessed NATO-Armenia relations as trustworthy and reliable, which are steadily advancing, satisfying both sides. Mr Appathurai expressed his gratitude to Armenia for taking part in NATO peace-keeping actions.

James Appathurai emphasized the willingness of the society and the parliament to continue and develop the cooperation with NATO and noted that there will be new programs of interest for Armenia in the future.

At the end of the meeting, the interlocutors talked about the Constitutional reforms in Armenia, the parliamentary oversight mechanisms, the National Assembly-Ministry of Defense cooperation and the programs designed by NATO in the future.