On November 30, on the margins of the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahan Kostanyan had a meeting with Robert Oliphant, the Parliamentary Secretary of Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The interlocutors commended the opening of the Canadian resident Embassy in Armenia, which symbolizes the deepening of bilateral cooperation and might serve as a new impetus for its further development.

The meeting addressed issues of bilateral agenda with a particular emphasis on fostering inter-parliamentary cooperation between two countries in terms of deepening Armenian-Canadian friendly relations based on common  values.

Both sides highlighted the importance of the steps towards the implementation of the  "In support of democracy in Armenia" report presented following the visit of the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Canada Stéphane Dion to Armenia.

The interlocutors exchanged views on regional security issues. The Deputy Minister briefed his interlocutor on the security situation in the South Caucasus, the steps taken towards normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the programmes implemented by the Government of the Republic of Armenia to address the needs and rights of the Armenians forcibly displaced as a result of the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Touching upon the importance of unblocking all communications in the region, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented in detail the "Crossroads of Peace" concept developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia.