On November 8, Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, had a meeting with Paolo Gentiloni, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, who has arrived in Yerevan for an official visit.
The meeting started in a tete-a-tete format, and continued in the extended format with the participation of delegations.
Welcoming his Italian counterpart’s visit to Armenia, Edward Nalbandian mentioned that the Armenian-Italian relations have millennia-old history, remarkable with expressions of mutual friendship and good traditions, which serve as a solid basis for the further strengthening and deepening of the cooperation. He attached importance to the visit of the Italian Foreign Minister to Armenia by outlining that in the course of the visit new agreements will be reached on the expansion of cooperation.
Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome of his delegation, the Foreign Minister Gentiloni stressed that Italy is interested in the further development of comprehensive cooperation with Armenia and is ready to undertake practical steps in that direction.
The Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed issues of bilateral and multilateral agenda, urgent international and regional problems.
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Edward Nalbandian and Paolo Gentiloni exchanged views on the steps to be undertaken for the further development of cooperation between Armenia and Italy, touched upon the expansion of legal framework comprising three dozen documents, discussed ways to intensify interparliamentary contacts and give a new impetus to trade and economic cooperation, attached importance to the intensification of exchanges in the areas of science, education and culture.
Minister Nalbandian attached importance to the Armenian-Italian close cooperation established in the cultural area. Within this context the interlocutors highlighted soon-to-be-signed Joint Statement on the Creation in Armenia of a Regional Center for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. Edward Nalbandian emphasized that the Armenian side highly appreciated the support of the Government of Italy in this area.
The interlocutors commended cooperation in the area of defense, within this context attaching importance to the mission of the Armenian peacekeepers who carry their service together with the Italian contingent within the UNIFIL in Lebanon.
The Ministers also discussed the ongoing negotiations on a new framework agreement between Armenia and the European Union.
The two addressed number of urgent international issues, particularly, developments in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis, migration flows, fight of the international community against terrorism.
The process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was on the agenda. Edward Nalbandian briefed his Italian counterpart on the efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for the creation of relevant conditions for the advancement of negotiation process.
The Foreign Minister of Armenia attached importance to the position of Italy, the future chair country of the OSCE, on supporting the efforts of Co-Chairs, as well as the exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on three principles of international law: prohibition of the threat or use of force, equality and self-determination of peoples, and territorial integrity, which are presented as an integrated whole by the Co-Chairs.
At the end of the meeting the Ministers signed the Joint Declaration on the Creation in Armenia of a Regional Center for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, followed by the joint press conference.