Sharmazanov to Vice-Speaker of Lithuania: Artsakh and Armenia build  democracy, meanwhile authoritarianism is flourishing in Azerbaijan

ArmInfo. The delegation led by the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly, the head of the Armenia-Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia friendship group Eduard Sharmazanov, in which the deputies of the Parliament Samvel Farmanyan and Suren Manukyan met on December 13 with the vice speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, the chairman of the European Affairs Committee Gediminas Kirkilas and the chairman of the Commission on Foreign Relations, Juozas Bernatonis.

According to the press service of the Parliament, during the meeting  the members of the delegation highly appreciated the fact that  Lithuania condemned the Armenian Genocide and stressed that Lithuania  is the only Baltic country that recognized this crime. The delegation  expressed gratitude to the Lithuanian Parliament and Gediminas  Kirkilas for their assistance in organizing the exhibition for the  100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the Vilnius Museum of  Genocide.

During the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of the  consistent development of the Armenian- Lithuanian relations,  cooperation of delegations in the interparliamentary structures. Vice  Speaker of the Parliament Sharmazanov appealed to the RA-EU  comprehensive and expanded partnership agreement, noting that Armenia  will continue to move along the path of development and democratic  reforms.

"The continuity of the political dialogue with the EU is one of the  important vectors of the political agenda of Armenia, Armenia is the  only country of the EAEU that has signed such an agreement with the  European Union, which makes it possible to become a bridge between  the EU and the EAEU," Eduard Sharmazanov said.

The sides also discussed the regional problems of the South Caucasus.  Sharmazanov noted: "Both Armenia and Artsakh are supporters of the  peaceful settlement of conflicts in the format of the OSCE Minsk  Group co-chairs on the basis of three well-known principles." It is  very important in the statement of the Eastern Partnership Assembly  to support these three principles - the nonuse of force or the threat  of force, territorial integrity, equality and realization of the  right to self-determination of peoples. "The bellicose rhetoric that  constantly sounds from Azerbaijan causes concern and does not proceed  from the logic of a peaceful settlement of the conflict." Armenia and  Artsakh build emokratiyu, between authoritarianism "is thriving in  Azerbaijan.

At the end of the meeting, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly  Eduard Sharmazanov invited Kirkilas to Armenia.