Belgian Senator Joris Poschet meets with Artsakh Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan on Thursday

STEPANAKERT—This week, Belgian senator and member of the Flemish Parliament Joris Poschet is visiting Artsakh, where he has met with the country’s leadership, including President Bako Sahakian, Foreign Minister and Karen Mirzoyan. He also attended a special session of the Artsakh National Assembly on Thursday.

The trip, which was initiated by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy—ANC of Europe—was an opportunity for the European lawmaker to become acquainted with Artsakh and the challenges facing its people.

Mirzoyan, the Artsakh Foreign Minister, briefed Poschet on the current phase of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, as well as democratic developments in Artsakh.

The two also discussed the expansion and development of the existing ties between Artsakh and Belgium and cooperation at different levels․

Kaspar Karampetian headed the EAFJD delegation that accompanied the lawmaker on his visit.

Belgian Senator Joris Poschet in a meeting with Artsakh Parliament Speaker Ashot Ghoulyan on Thurday

Also on Thursday, Posceht was hosted by the Speaker of the Artsakh Parliament, Ashot Ghoulyan who told the visiting lawmaker that recent meetings with his colleagues from the Belgian legislature have strengthened relations between Artsakh and Belgium.

“Through members of the Belgian parliament we try to make the voices of Artsakh officials and public figures heard both in the Belgian parliamentary circles as well as European structures,” Ghoulyan said.

“We as small countries should actively use our intellectual capabilities and diplomatic opportunities to find a way out of deadlock situations,” Poschet told his hosts, expressing gratitude for the warm reception as well as the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about Artsakh.

Artsakh President Bako Sahakian meets with Belgian Senator Joris Poschet

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the policy of European structures over the Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani attempts on spreading disinformation and the mechanisms to counter them.

After meeting with Ghoulian, Poschet met with the Artsakh-European Parliament Friendship Group, whose chairman Vahram Balayan expressed confidence that the group will continue to be bridge between Artsakh and its European partners.

Poschet’s visit to Artsakh kicked off on Wednesday, when he met with President Sahakian, who said that such visits bolster the expansion and deepening of relations between the two countries.

Sahakian highlighted that frequent visits paid to Artsakh by representatives of political, public, academic, cultural and other circles of Belgium and its administrative entities were critically important.