STEPANAKERT, YEREVAN—On Saturday, June 28, the President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakian received Member of the Spanish Senate Urko Aiartza, the presidential press office reported.

 

A number of issues pertaining to the cooperation between Artsakh and Europe, the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict settlement process, and the realisation of the right of nations to self-determination were discussed during the meeting.

A special discussion was held on the possibility of establishing sustainable ties between the Basque Country and Artsakh.

On the following Monday, Senator Aiartza traveled to Armenia to meet with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, accompanied by the director of European Friends of Armenia, Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa.

Welcoming the guests, Minister Nalbandian attached significance to inter-parliamentary interactions and diplomacy in the development of bilateral relations.

Edward Nalbandian commended the Spanish Senator’s visit to Artsakh, mentioning that such visits create an opportunity to learn first-hand about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the current situation there.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Senator Aiartza stressed that it was of paramount importance to him to visit both Armenia and Artsakh, and assured that he would continue his activities toward further strengthening and deepening Armenian-Spanish relations.

Nalbandian described the efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries towards the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

A week before the Spanish Senator’s visit to Artsakh and Armenia, on June 23, the parliament of Spain’s autonomous community of Navarre adopted a measure recognising the Armenian Genocide. The measure came after a series of visits by members of the Navarre parliament to Armenia and Artsakh. Navarre lies in the north of Spain and has a sizable population of Basque speakers.