Posted 29 October 2004
AZAD-HYE (29 October 2004): The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Artur Baghdassaryan, will be touring three Arabian Gulf countries during the second half of November 2004. His first stopover will be in Kuwait (21-23 November), followed by a similar visits to Bahrain (23-25 November) and UAE (26-28 November). In all these countries he will be meeting with governmental officials including Heads of the Parliaments.
It should be noted that in April 2002 a Kuwaiti Parliamentarian Delegation visited Armenia led by Member of Parliament Ahmed Nasser Al Sherian. The Delegation stressed the importance of developing Armenian-Kuwaiti relations and explored means of enhancing economic cooperation. The two sides discussed regional issues in the Middle East and the Caucasus.
In Bahrain, an initiative for establishing Armenian ? Bahraini Parliamentarian Friendship Group has been discussed in April 2004 during the presentation of the credentials of the non-resident Ambassador Dr. Arshak Poladian to Bahraini officials. Chairman of the Armenian Parliament is expected to discuss during his forthcoming visit to Bahrain ways of implementing this initial appeal.
In Abu Dhabi Artur Bagdasaryan in scheduled to meet the Speaker of the Federal National Council Saeed Mohammed Al Kindi. Meetings with the members of the Armenian Community in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are also expected.
The UAE Federal National Council has been established in 1972 (just a year after the Independence) and consists of 40 members appointed by the Rulers of the seven Emirates which make up the Federation of the UAE. Seats are distributed among the Emirates as follows: Abu Dhabi and Dubai 8 each; Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah 6 each; Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah 4 each.
Artur Baghdasaryan has been elected to his current position as the Chairman of the National Assembly (known also as the Speaker of the Parliament) on 12th June 2003. He has been born in Yerevan in 1968 and holds doctoral degree in Legal Sciences (Moscow 1997). He is member of the “Rule of Law” party (Orinats Yerkir) and father of two children.
Upper-Left Photo: Armenian Ambassador in the UAE Dr. Arshak Poladian discusses on 25th October 2004 with the General Secretary of the UAE Federal National Council Mohammad Salem Al Mazroui details of the forthcoming visit of the Chairman of the Armenian Parliament to the UAE.
