On October 31, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Syria Arshak Poladyan had a meeting with newly elected President of the People’s Council of the Syrian Arab Republic Hammouda Sabbagh. Among the attendees of the meeting were members of the Syria-Armenian Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Syrian parliament led by Nora Arisian and other Members of Parliament.

Greeting Armenia’s Ambassador, Hammouda Sabbagh highlighted the fact that Syria highly appreciates the unchanged and balanced position that the political leadership of the Republic of Armenia has maintained throughout the Syrian crisis.

Touching upon the Armenian-Syrian relations, the President of the People’s Council of the Syrian Arab Republic describe them as relations that have historically deep roots and are always developing.

Talking about the friendship between the two nations, Hammouda Sabbagh stated that the Armenians form an integral part of Syria and that they have made great contributions to the country’s economy, culture and politics, including as Members of Parliament throughout the history of Syria. In this context, Sabbagh set aside the active contributions that President of the Syria-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the People’s Council of the Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian-Armenian Deputy Nora Arisian has made to the strengthening and deepening of the parliamentary ties between Syria and Armenia.

According to the President of the Parliament of Syria, parliamentary diplomacy contains great potential for the development bilateral relations and that the Syrian and Armenian parliaments must use that potential through first and foremost the reciprocal visits of the parliamentary friendship groups.

In his turn, Ambassador Poladyan emphasized the fact that Armenia is always focused on the events taking place in Syria and the developments that are unfolding and, based on the Syrian-Armenian friendly relations, the country has decided to make sure the diplomatic representations of the Republic of Armenia continue their activities in Damascus and Aleppo. Poladyan added that Armenia does its best to help the friendly people of Syria. For that purpose, upon the instruction of the President of the Republic of Armenia and with the support of Russia, Armenia has sent humanitarian aid to Syria several times.

Talking about the bilateral relations, the Ambassador stated the following: “After Armenia’s independence, Syria was one of the first countries to sign a memorandum on the establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia. Throughout the past 25 years of bilateral relations, the two countries have established a serious legal-contractual base that includes 60 documents in different sectors. The cooperation with Syria is of major significance for Armenia.”

Talking about the centuries-old historical and cultural ties and trade and economic relations between Syria and Armenia, the Ambassador particularly emphasized the exceptional role that the Syrians played in the lives of the Armenians who were saved from the Ottoman Turks’ yataghan. He added that the invaluable treatment of the friendly Syrians towards saving the Armenians having escaped the Armenian Genocide more than a century ago left an indelible trace in Armenian reality and, thanks to that treatment, the Armenians got back on their feet, became integrated into Syrian society and became Syria’s full-fledged citizens.

The interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the recent visit that RA Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan paid to Syria and voiced hope that the agreements reached during the visit would serve as a basis for effective cooperation in the years to come.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Poladyan transmitted the congratulatory message of Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Ara Babloyan to Hammouda Sabbagh on the occasion of being elected President of the People’s Council of the Syrian Arab Republic and wished him success in his major and responsible mission.