On November 24, the representatives of parliamentary three factions received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Armenia Alison Mary LeClaire in the National Assembly.
The representative of Armenia Faction, the member of Armenia-Canada Friendship Group Artur Khachatryan highlighted the development of bilateral relations, noting that this year turns the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relation between Armenia and Canada. The deputy presented to the guest the details of the Azerbaijani aggression and its consequences. He expressed concern about the preservation of the Armenian cultural values on the territories passed under the Azerbaijani control after the 44-day war and underlined that that country does not allow UNESCO enter into those territories.
The deputy of the NA Civil Contract Faction, the member of Armenia-Canada Friendship Group Gevorg Papoyan underlined the importance of the development of the inter-parliamentary relations and the active cooperation of the Friendship Groups. He highly appreciated the fact that from the first days of 44-day war Canada actively tried making efforts for the ceasefire. In this context Gevorg Papoyan emphasized the decision of the Government of Canada to stop the supply of the Canadian weapons to Turkey, to study the situation in detail and find out if they were used in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Gevorg Papoyan characterized the expansionist aspirations of Turkey and Azerbaijan as an attack of authoritarianism against the democracy of Armenia. “Our fight is existential, we cannot be subjected to a new genocide,” he said.
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The deputy of the NA Civil Contract Faction, the member of Armenia-Canada Friendship Group Mikayel Tumasyan also touched upon the prospects of the development of the Armenian-Canadian relations.
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Armenia expressed readiness to promote the more deepening of the Armenian-Canadian parliamentary relations and the activation of mutual visits. She underscored that the 44-day war and the consequences of September aggression are in the center of their attention.
A reference was also made to urgent repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan and the invasion of the Azerbaijani armed forces to the sovereign territory of Armenia. The active role of the Armenian community of Canada in the development of bilateral relations was stressed.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia