News - Armenia parliament speaker to Canada envoy: There will still be Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, on Wednesday received the Canadian ambassador to Armenia, Andrew Turner, the NA informed. Congratulating the ambassador on assuming this accountable position, Simonyan expressed his belief that the recent opening of the Canadian embassy in Armenia and the appointment of Turner as the first resident ambassador of Canada to Armenia will be a new stimulus in the development of relations between the two countries. Reflecting on the regional challenges, the speaker of the NA emphasized: "We understand that the key system of our security is democracy. We hope that international partners will support democratic Armenia in establishing long-term peace in the region." In this context, the head of the Armenian parliament presented to the Canadian envoy the process of signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, and touched upon the immediate return of Armenian captives in Azerbaijan. As per Alen Simonyan, even after the implementation of the agreement on the exchange of detainees between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there will still be Armenian captives in Azerbaijan. The Ambassador Turner, for is part, expressed readiness for further cooperation, noted that Canada supports Armenia's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and democracy. According to him, the recent visit of the Canadian foreign minister to Armenia and the opening of the Canadian embassy in Yerevan are another proof of Canada’s support for Armenia's democracy.