18:05,
As the Armenian Parliament's press service reports, the meeting between the speakers of the parliaments of the two countries in Dilijan began with a private conversation, followed by an extended meeting.
Welcoming the Georgian counterpart, Alen Simonyan congratulated friendly Georgia on receiving the European Union membership candidate status and noted that it was an important event for the entire region.
The Armenian Speaker of Parliament emphasized that the deepening of relations with Georgia is of strategic importance for Armenia and expressed hope that in the near future it would be possible to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries.
Referring to the effective cooperation in the economic sphere, Alen Simonyan highlighted the fact that the trade turnover and economic ties between Armenia and Georgia continue rising.
In this context, the head of parliament touched upon the problems arising at the Upper Lars checkpoint for various reasons and lauded the efforts of the Georgian side aimed at transit facilitation.
The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, in turn, assured that quite positive processes have taken place in this direction recently.
During the meeting, Alen Simonyan referred to regional security and challenges, reaffirming that Armenia remains committed to the agenda of establishing peace and stability in the region.
Referring to the "Crossroads of Peace" presented by Armenia, Armenian Speaker of Parliament offered Georgia to join the project.
"The high level of relations between Armenia and Georgia is one of the important factors in ensuring security in the South Caucasus. We highly appreciate Georgia's interest and efforts in establishing peace and stability in the region. The Peaceful Neighborhood Initiative of the Georgian government is aimed at this very goal," stated the Speaker of the Parliament.
Alen Simonyan underscored the continuous development of the Armenian-Georgian high-level political dialogue.
In the context of bilateral relations, Armenian Speaker of Parliament congratulated the parties on the occasion of the opening of the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Georgia's city of Rustavi.Expressing his gratitude for the invitation, Shalva Papuashvili emphasized with satisfaction the effectiveness of the bilateral parliamentary cooperation format.
Referring to regional issues, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia emphasized their support for the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which could be a guarantee of long-term stability and development in the region.
During the meeting, ideas were exchanged regarding the immediate return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan.