Welcome remarks at opening of NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar by Vice President of RA National Assembly Ruben Rubinyan

The RA NA Vice President Ruben Rubinyan made welcome remarks at opening of NATO PA 108^th Rose-Roth Seminar.

"Dear Mr President,

Dear colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me welcome the participation of the Rose-Roth Seminar of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA). This is already the fourth time we are hosting this important event.

Since 1991, the Rose-Roth Seminar has focused on issues regarding the regional security, armed forces and defense, and effective parliamentary oversight of the military.

The title of the Seminar, Armenia and the South Caucasus in a shifting world: Strengthening Democracy and Regional Security, speaks for itself. It reminds us that in today's fragile world, we are all responsible for maintaining peace. Wars and conflicts continue to hang over the heads of peoples like the sword of Damocles, bringing countless victims and suffering.

During these years, the world has undergone many changes. The Republic of Armenia is also adapting to new realities, faithful to its independence, sovereignty, and aspirations to live peacefully with its neighbours.

Armenia-NATO ties began more than thirty years ago. Our country has always highlighted the partnership relations with the alliance, including participation in peacekeeping missions and strengthening democratic institutions. The cooperation with NATO is part of Armenia's balanced and balancing foreign policy, and we are ready to continue this cooperation, which is aimed at strengthening regional and global security.

In the sphere of parliamentary diplomacy, the relations with the NATO are carried out in partnership with the Parliamentary Assembly of the organization, which began in 2002, when our National Assembly became an associate member of the NATO PA.

Dear colleagues, I would like to briefly present the latest developments in the South Caucasus. In the context of the normalization of our relations with Azerbaijan, the first document was signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 30, 2024, namely the Regulation on the Joint Activities of the Commissions on Delimitation Issues, which has passed the internal ratification procedure prescribed by the legislation of the parties and entered into force. The first 12-kilometer section of the state border has been delimited and demarcated by the commissions, and we hope that this process will soon continue in other sections of the border as well.

In 2023, the Armenian Government initiated the Crossroads of Peace project, the goal of which was to achieve regional connectivity based on the principles of sovereignty, jurisdiction of states over infrastructure passing through their territory, equality, and reciprocity. From the perspective of unblocking regional infrastructure, the Crossroads of Peace project implies a significant increase in the capacity of cargo transportation, pipelines, power lines, and internet cables through the territory of Armenia.

In the present situation, when countries are in search of new transport and economic opportunities, Armenia and the South Caucasus can become a new transit hub between East and West, North and South.

On August 8 of this year, including in this context, at the Summit held in Washington, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan, with the support and testimony of the U.S. President, signed a joint declaration on peace. On the same day, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries pre-signed the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations. This was a historic step towards stable and long-lasting peace in our region. I believe that the presence of Mr. Muradov here is also another confirmation of this, which, of course, we welcome. We hope that the Agreement will be signed and ratified as soon as possible.

The Declaration emphasizes the need to open up communications for peace, stability, and prosperity. The Armenian-American Project Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which will be implemented in Armenia, has a special place in this process. This initiative is more than an infrastructure project: it is a bridge of trust and cooperation, the implementation of which will bring tangible results to the entire region.

Today, we have a historic opportunity to overcome the conflicts of the past and build a peaceful and good neighbourly future. It is our duty not to lose this opportunity and to turn it into a historic reality of stability and development.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The regulation of the relations with Türkiye continues remaining one of the priorities of Armenia's foreign policy. Our dialogue with the Turkish side continues, and we are convinced that this historical opportunity to build good neighbourly relations, should not be missed. The normalization of relations will not only bring stability and prosperity to our region, but will also contribute to strengthening global security, demonstrating that long-standing contradictions can be overcome through dialogue and diplomacy. We hope that Türkiye will respond to our readiness to establish diplomatic relations and have open borders as soon as possible. We are ready for this today.

Dear colleagues, for decades, the security strategy of Armenia has depended on only one pole, which has created numerous problems for us. At present, we are working towards its diversification.

The diversification of political, economic, and security relations implies normalization of relations with neighbours and good neighbourly relations and cooperation with all parties.

In the context of balanced and balancing foreign policy, Armenia does a lot of work also with the European Union. To this end, on March 26, 2025, the National Assembly adopted the Law On the Launch of the Process of the Republic of Armenia's Membership in the European Union. The draft was brought to the National Assembly by a civil initiative.

Dear colleagues,

I am confident that today's and tomorrow's discussions will be constructive and valuable. I wish you a pleasant stay in Yerevan, a city that reflects the history and culture of the Armenian people, as well as their warm hospitality.

Thank you," the RA NA Vice President underscored.