ArmInfo. Armenia and Cyprus have expanded their partnership to such an extent that the presence of permanent diplomatic missions in our capitals is simply a must. This was stated by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at a press conference with his Cypriot counterpart in Nicosia on July 29.
"So I am pleased to join you in announcing that Armenia and Cyprus will reciprocally open embassies in the capitals of both countries in coming months. Needless to say that it will further contribute to strengthening our partnership and also people-to-people contacts," Mirzoyan noted.
The Armenian diplomat also informed that over the past year, the trade turnover between the two countries has increased. In this vein, he expressed confidence that " it is exactly the direction we can and we should work jointly to outline new deliverables and ensure continuation of the positive dynamics". In the context of the Armenia-EU partnership, Mirzoyan stated that, in fact, this is his first visit to a member state of the European Union after the historic decisions taken by the EU Council, namely the start of a dialogue on visa liberalization with Armenia and the decision to provide assistance to Armenia within the framework of the European Peace Facility. "Thus, I take this opportunity to thank you, dear Minister, but also other EU and member state colleagues for the support extended to my country in this path, including through the support to our democratic reforms which, of course, we are determined to continue. The two decisions taken by the EU Council will further bring Armenia and literally Armenia's citizens closer to the EU and vice versa but also contribute to building Armenia's resilience and hence regional stability. In parallel, we still have other new items on the agenda while we work on the prospects for a new enhanced Armenia-EU Partnership agenda," Mirzoyan noted.
The top diplomat of Armenia also informed that regional issues and the overall situation around two countries were discussed at today's meeting. " It is obvious that our partnership, friendship and cooperation has become even stronger due to the need to overcome common challenges. We have been closely cooperating and we will do so as long as there are pending issues, including of humanitarian nature, following the conflict and difficulties our people have been facing. We appreciate the assistance Cyprus has provided to Armenian people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. Dear colleagues, as we have proven with our actions, Armenia is committed to peace and stability. In this regard, we have always expressed solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus supporting its efforts to find a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law," Mirzoyan said.
At the same time, he noted that Armenia's vision of a durable peace in the South Caucasus is also reflected in its relations with its neighbors. In this vein, he noted the importance of signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, which would enshrine mutual recognition of territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. "I briefed my counterpart on the most recent discussions, the importance of ensuring the continuity of the delimitation process on the basis of the same declaration and thus the 1991 borderline. I think this position is both clear and consistent, but besides that, it has been also developed further by our proposals of creating mechanisms regarding border incidents as well as arms control, to which we have not yet received answers and which still remain open. I believe we should use the current historical momentum to work towards closing the page of enmity and preparing a better future for the economic development and prosperity of the entire region which is at an important crossroads," Mirzoyan concluded.
