YEREVAN, MARCH 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The European Neighborhood Actions Plan opens new development prospects for development of Armenia-EU relations in all directions, and in this context deepening of relations with Austria as a EU member is considered important. RA NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamian stated at the March 3 meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Austria to RA Marius Calligaris. In his affirmation, in this respect there is great unused potential of cooperation with Austria. Attaching a special importance to parliaments in the issue of development of the two countries' relations, M. Calligaris also attached importance to deepening of Armenian-Austrian relations within the framwork of the EU New Neighborhood policy. The Ambassador said that Austria attaches importance to deepening the relations with the South Caucasian region expressing satisfaction with the current high level of partnership. The EU-Eastern Neighbors program was considered important in this context, where the three South Caucasian republics, Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus are involved. M. Calligaris also said that establishment of Austria-South Caucasus-Middle Asia parliamentary cooperation commission is envisaged in the Austrian newly elected National Council, which will additionally promote interparliamentary relations and will make cooperation complete and constructive. According to the report of the RA NA Public Relations Department, prospects of development of bilateral relations, other issues regarding Armenia's home political situation and issues of bilateral interest were also discussed at the meeting.

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