Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Armenia from 29 October to Strengthen India-Armenia Friendship

Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region is leading an official Indian Parliamentary Goodwill Delegation to visit Turkmenistan to attend their National day on 27 October 2013. The delegation will reach Ashgabat Capital of Turkmenistan tomorrow. The Goodwill delegation is carrying a message of the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee on behalf of the People of India congratulating the People of Turkmenistan on their Independence Day and presents it to the President of Turkmenistan H. E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat tomorrow. 
The delegation comprises of six MPs from Lok Sabha and three MPs from Rajya Sabha apart from the Minister Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar. Shri Dhruvanarayana Rangaswamy (LS) and Shri Mukut Mithi (RS) from INC, Shri Anant Kumar Hegde (LS) BJP, Shri Shailendra Kumar (LS) Samajwadi Party, Shri Anandrao Vithoba Adsul (LS) of Shiv Sena, Shri Narayanan Balaganga (RS) AIADMK, Shri Puthiyoor Karunakaran (LS) CPI(M), Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab (LS) Biju Janata Dal and Shri Sabir Mazhar Hussain Ali (RS) Janata Dal (United) are representing various political parties as part of the delegation. The Secretary Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Shri Afzal Amanullah, and Shri Harbans Lal Negi, Director Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs are accompanying the group as officials. 
In Ashgabat, the delegation will attend various functions, ceremonies, cultural and arts concerts and holiday parade in honour of the 22nd anniversary of independence of Turkmenistan. The Indian Parliamentary Goodwill Delegation will hold a meeting with the Chairperson of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan Mrs. Akja Nurberdiyeva on Saturday to share the democratic experiences in strengthening parliamentary institutions and structures. 
During the visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister along with delegation will meet H.E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan for expressing strong determination for the timely implementation of the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan & India gas pipeline (TAPI) project. The delegation will emphasize that the TAPI project is only a beginning in the substantial expansion of bilateral cooperation in various sectors between the two countries apart from Energy Sector. India and Turkmenistan share close friendly and historical ties which will be furthered with this visit. 
Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar will then lead the Parliamentary Delegation to Armenia from 29th of October to 2nd of November in the Capitol City of Yerevan. They will hold meeting with the members of the ‘India-Armenia Friendship Group’ in the National Assembly of Republic of Armenia and will call on the Chairman, National Assembly of Republic of Armenia and the President of Republic of Armenia H.E. Mr. Serzh Sargsyan to bolster the bilateral relations between the two nations. The official delegation will return to New Delhi on 2nd of November.