STEPANAKERT (ANIS–Armenpress)–Members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Executive Council of Armenia–Vahan Hovanessian and Hrant Markarian–visited the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic over the weekend–to acquaint themselves with the socio-economic and political situation in Karabakh and to report on the party’s positions on the Karabakh conflict.
The ARF representatives were greeted by ARF Central Committee of Artsakh chairman Vatchagan Zakarian–following which they held a meeting with Nagorno-Karabakh Republic president Arkady Ghoukassian.
The Karabakh president discussed the latest developmen’s in the peace talks and clarified the position of the international mediators regarding the progression of the talks.
Economic development projects and reform initiatives were also discussed and the two sides presented their view of improving and strengthening Karabakh’s socio-economic structures.
The ARF delegation stressed that ARF would never tolerate any concessions on the independent status of Karabakh.
Future cooperation between the ARF and the government of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was another topic of discussion during the meeting–where the ARF representatives pledged the party’s willingness in assisting Karabakh in economic and social spheres–specifically in the task of re-habitation of the Republic.
In meetings with Karabakh prime minister Jirair Poghossian–the government’s plans for economic reform–foreign investment and small business development were discussed. The ARF representatives pledged that they would ensure foreign capital investment in Karabakh through their pan-national resources.
Hovanessian and Markarian also met with Karabakh defense minister and commander of armed forces Samvel Babayan and discussed the situation of the Karabakh army–its ideology–military prowess as well as the social issues facing Karabakh war veterans.
At the conclusion of their visit–the ARF representatives attended a meeting of the ARF CC of Artsakh and addressed the internal political climate of Karabakh and other organizational issues.
