BEIRUT, APRIL 15, NOYAN TAPAN. During his official visit to Labanon, Speaker of the RA National Assembly Hovik Abrahamian on April 13 met with heads of political parties and community structures at the Armenian embassy. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Lebanese Armenian community, as well as Lebanese MPs and government members of Armenian descent. H. Abrahamian spoke about his meetings in Lebanon, noting that the country's president, prime minister, and parliamentary speaker gave him a warm welcome. H. Abrahamian underlined the role of the local Armenian community in this respect: the well-organized and law abiding Lebanese Armenians are held in high esteem in Lebanon. It is important that they are accepted and valued not only as Armenians, but also as worthy and creative citizens of Lebanon, especially as some of them are members of the parliament and government. H. Abrahamian presented the Armenian leadership's opinions about the Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh conflict. At the reception held in the Armenian embassy and attended by foreign diplomats accredited to Lebanon, H. Abrahamian stated in his speech that Armenia wants to deepen its relations with Lebanon. He expressed confidence that these links will strengthen, while pointing out the necessity to develop economic relations and raise them to the level of political ties which are close and warm. The press service of the RA National Assembly reports that an action entitled "Dialog of Cultures" took place in the yard of the Armenian embassy: on the Lebanese soil, the Armenian artists Teni Vardanian, Marina Dilanian and Armen Gevorgian completed a single work consisting of 12 paintings dedicated to Armenian-Lebanese cultural ties. They had started that work in Armenia. Hovik Abrahamian presented it to Lebanon's parliament and government - in token of the Armenian-Lebanese friendship.

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