Armenia receives observer status in  ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary  Assembly

ArmInfo.The National Assembly of Armenia received observer status in the Inter-Parliamentary  Assembly of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). 

Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations  Sargis  Khandanyan announced at a May 17 meeting of the Committee ,  presenting the issue of forming the RA NA parliamentary delegation at  the ASEAN Inter- Parliamentary Assembly.

The Chairman of the Committee said that ASEAN is a regional assembly  that includes 10 countries of Southeast Asia, which are its full  members. The parliaments of a number of countries have observer  status in the Assembly. The US Congress, the Federal Assembly of the  Russian Federation, the parliaments of Canada, India, Japan, China  and the European Parliament have observer status. Sargis Khandanyan  noted that negotiations on obtaining observer status began last year.  During the ASEAN Assembly held in August 2023, the Assemblyconfirmed  the observer status of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia, of which Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia was informed in writing.

According to Khandanyan, a parliamentary delegation with observer  status is formed in two ways: three main members or three main and  three reserve members. Armenia chose the second option for forming a  delegation.

Notably, the Committee gave a positive conclusion on the initiative  to form a parliamentary delegation of the National Assembly of the  Republic of Armenia as an observer in the ASEAN PA.