Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received today the representatives of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party – Central Board Chairman Hambik Sarafian, Central Board Member Khachik Keshishian and Head of Armenia Office Sedrak Achemian.

Greeting the SDHP representatives, Prime Minister Pashinyan said,

“Dear Sirs,

I welcome the delegation of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party and I am very glad for this opportunity. We have always been in touch with both the Central Board and the Armenian Office. I am glad to record that the party, including the Armenian Office, takes part in the newly established format of extra-parliamentary forces, in the sidelines of which we have already had two meetings. We also try to make decisions and move forward with concrete steps. Of course, this cooperation and dialogue are very important for us, considering the very important and exclusive role of the party in our Diaspora communities, involvement in and contribution to the shaping of the political culture of the Armenian people in general.

We have been open for dialogue and I am glad for the similar readiness from your side. These meetings are a good opportunity for clarifying our agenda following the parliamentary elections, exchanging views on upcoming activities, and maybe in case of necessity, we will make concrete decisions. I once again welcome you and I am glad for this opportunity’’.

SDHP Central Board Chairman Hambik Sarafian said, ‘’We are thankful, Mr. Prime Minister. We are thankful for hosting us here. First, let me to congratulate you on the re-appointment in the name of the entire Hunchakian family. In the most crucial period of our history, you, of course, understand and are aware better than any of us of all the challenges, both domestic and external. We think that your steps following the elections, particularly the approaches aimed at unity and consolidation both in parliamentary and extra-parliamentary formats are the correct path. Because if in the past the calls for unity, cooperation and solidarity were just wishes, today they are absolute necessities, because if we fail to work in the atmosphere of cooperation and unity, the future will be very hard. As a party, we have always been ready and are now ready to cooperate with you in all the areas, be it in the Diaspora or the Motherland. We also highlight the real cooperation with all the forces, because that’s probably the only way for bringing our Motherland, Artsakh out of this difficult situation’’.

The members of the SDHP delegation highlighted the importance of the dialogue and partnership with the extra-parliamentary forces under the initiative of Prime Minister Pashinyan for the benefit of the Motherland. The Prime Minister noted that Armenia and Artsakh are passing through hard challenges, but the important thing is that a shared understanding has been established over overcoming the existing challenges and moving forward with joint efforts. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the two meetings that have already taken place in the extra-parliamentary format, where the SDHP Armenian Office is also involved, show that it’s a practical format and will be continuous.

The Prime Minister discussed with the delegation of the Social Democratic Hunchakian Party issues related to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora-Artsakh ties and the full utilization of the existing potential. The interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of fostering information technologies, education, nuclear medicine, and a number of other areas, spoke about development programs and initiatives.