YEREVAN (ArmRadio)–Cyprus will support Armenia’s strategic interests in the European Union by serving as a “bridge” between Armenia and Europe, the President of its House of Representatives, Marios Garoyan, told Armenia’s Prime Minister, Tigran Sargsyan, in talks on Wednesday after addressing Armenia’s National Assembly.
The relations between Cyprus an Armenia are founded on common principles and values, Garoyan said in his speech to the National Assembly, adding that a shared historic experience of struggle against a common foe “guide the policy of our governmen’s and parliamen’s.”
“Our close relations are on a brilliant level, he said, noting, however, that his visit to Armenia aimed at taking hold of new opportunities for expanding and deepening ties in all spheres, including interparliamentary cooperation.
The visit, Garoyan explained, is an opportunity to express his government’s gratitude toward Armenia for its longstanding assistance in “finding a just and acceptable solution to the fair struggle for reunification through dialogue.”
Citing the geopolitical advantages Cyprus enjoys, as a member of the European Union and the Euro zone, located in the Aegean Sea, he said Cyprus is ready to provide Armenia with assistance “in any sphere it shows interest in.”
“We wish to expand existing ties in the fields of trade and economy, aware that Armenia demonstrates a considerable and growing development process,” Garoyan said.
During talks after his address to parliament, Garoyan and Prime Minister Sargsyan discussed current problems in Turkey-Cyprus and Turkey-Armenia relations and underscored the need to deepen relations between their two countries.
In talks with National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamian, Garoyan emphasized interparliamentary relations as the bulwark of “mutually beneficial relations” in trade, science, education and culture.
Abrahamian, for his part, said the cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in 2003 should be “reviewed with the aim of including new spheres.” Both parliamentary heads agreed that an interparliamentary commission would contribute to “boosting” ties between the two countries.
Garoyan ended his official visit by inviting Abrahamian to Cyprus for discussions to formalize new agreemen’s on interparliamentary cooperation.
