PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
October 10, 2007
RAFFI HOVANNISIAN AT NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Reykjavik, Iceland–Raffi K. Hovannisian, leader of the Heritage Party and
Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the 53rd annual
session of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly here between October 5 and 9.
Hovannisian took the floor several times, speaking at the Plenary Session
and at meetings of the Assembly’s Political Committee, the Defense and
Security Committee, and the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security.
His topics included Armenia and its role in the new era; Mountainous
Karabagh and its quest for liberty and decolonization; Turkey, Armenia, and
the future of NATO based on contemporary standards of democracy and a full
assumption of history; NATO-Iran relations and the need for a pacific
resolution of disputes; Azerbaijan’s obligations under the Conventional
Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty; and gender-based challenges in security and
conflict situations. He also responded to distortions of the historical
record by certain delegates from Azerbaijan.
In the framework of the conclave, Raffi Hovannisian met separately with
President Jose Lello of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; NATO Secretary
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer; Speaker Sturla Bodvarsson of the Icelandic
Parliament; Icelandic Foreign Minister Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir;
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha; representatives of the US Congress and
the Russian State Duma; and heads and members of several parliamentary
delegations.
The Armenian delegation was led by General Artur Aghabekyan of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation, who addressed the Defense and Security Committee
on NATO-Armenia cooperation, and included Karen Avagyan of the Republican
Party of Armenia.
Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002, Armenia,
with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10) 532.697, email
at [email protected] or [email protected], and website at