Tuesday, 5 April 2005
Today RA Prime Minister A. Margaryan has received the delegation headed by Mr. Herman De Kroo, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Belgium, which has arrived in Armenia on a two-day official visit.
By indicating the recent activation of bilateral contacts between Belgium and Armenia, especially following RA President's working visit to Brussels in December, 2003, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that this would be conducive to the further expansion of both political and economic relationship between our two countries. Mr. A. Margaryan thanked the Belgian authorities for their balanced approach and support in the discussions of the Armenian-sensitive matters in international organizations. The Prime Minister noted that Armenia was looking forward to a possible backing on the part of the Belgian parliamentarians in terms of a favorable consideration by the NATO and the PACE of the country reports for Armenia. By stressing the importance of Armenia's integration in the European Neighborhood Policy along with other States of the region, Mr. A. Margaryan stated that Belgium was expected to support Armenia with the expedited design of individual partnership programs for implementation in the said framework. With reference to regional concerns, the Armenian Prime Minister said to be highly appreciative of the efforts exerted by the EU, the OSCE, the NATO and the EC towards maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Southern Caucasian region. At the same time, he pointed out to the need in Armenia's more active involvement in the EU-sponsored regional economic programs which, according to the Prime Minister, would be beneficial to the settlement of the conflicts in the region, including the Karabakh problem. In the context of Turkey's pending accession to the European Union, the parties have touched upon a number of issues concerning the Armenian-Turkish bilateral relationship.
Prime Minister A. Margaryan expressed his gratitude to the Belgian Parliament for having recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide as early back as in 1998.
Asked by the Speaker of the Belgian Parliament, Mr. A. Margaryan briefed him on the status of economic reforms in Armenia. In stressing with satisfaction Belgium's being Armenia's largest economic partner at this point of time, both sides have pointed out to the existence of wider potentialities for economic cooperation that could be well drawn upon through activated contacts between the parliamentarians of the two countries.
