YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian met on Thursday with a Canadian parliamentary delegation of members from the Canada-Armenian Friendship Group. The delegation also met with Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Armenian Public Radio reported.

Sarkisian met with the group to discuss the continued development of relations between the two countries through greater investment in the Armenian economy, and a deeper involvement in the fields of mining, agriculture, education and culture.

Welcoming the group, the Armenian leader praised his country's relations with Canada, describing them as efficient and multilateral with "a strong base" for realizing its full potential. Sarkisian also stressed his government's desire to "invigorate" inter-parliamentary interaction between the two countries.

"Canada is important for us as a powerful economy and democracy," Sarkisian said, acknowledging its historic role as a welcoming host for Armenians. "Canada has become the second motherland [for thousands of Armenians], where they developed their best qualities and served Canada as well as Armenia," he added.

According to Friendship Group Chairman, Harold Albrecht the large Armenian community of Canada is one of many examples of the "close relations and active cooperation between Armenia and Canada."Armenians, he added, "provide significant contributions to the development of economic, political, cultural and all other areas of Canada's life."

Albrecht discussing the various annual activities of the Friendship Group, explaining that its members raise awareness of the Armenian Genocide and its international recognition throughout Canada.

In their talks, Sarkisian also hailed Canada's 2006 recognition for the Armenian Genocide and discussed with the ongoing effort to gain international recognition of the crime. "We are grateful to the Parliament and Government of Canada for their position regarding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide," said Sarkisian. "Canada is one of those few nations where the Parliament and the Government have been unanimous on this issue."