Statement of the Foreign Minister of Armenia for the press following the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan
Honorable Mr. Minister,
I would like to express my gratitude to you for the warm and friendly welcome.
I fondly recall your visit to Yerevan last year, during which our discussions significantly expanded the scope and substance of our bilateral agenda and cooperation.
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This is my first official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan, though I have had multiple opportunities to visit your country in different capacities and formats. I am confident that this visit provides a valuable opportunity to review the progress of cooperation between our two friendly countries and to discuss the implementation of the agreements reached last year as a result of the high-level political dialogue between Yerevan and Astana. Last year was indeed dynamic, marked by the reciprocal visits of our countries’ presidents after a nearly twenty-year hiatus. We anticipate that this year will also be rich in bilateral visits and joint initiatives, which we had the opportunity to discuss today.
Naturally, in today’s discussions, we touched upon the trade and economic component of our bilateral cooperation. We share the view that the potential of our bilateral trade far exceeds current figures. In this context, we have agreed to redouble our efforts toward the implementation of the 2024-2025 roadmap for trade and economic cooperation between our governments, as well as the organization of the next session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. At the same time, we emphasized the importance of fostering business ties, following the example of the first Armenian-Kazakh business forum and trade missions held last year.
Undoubtedly, there is a close interconnection between economic development and the full realization of existing potential. In this context, Minister Nurtleu and I underscored the need to combine efforts on the unblocking of regional infrastructure and the effective use of transport and logistics routes, a matter of great importance to both countries. In this context, we, of course, highly appreciate the unequivocal support expressed by the Kazakh side, including at the highest level, at the presidential level, for the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” project. Today, we also discussed the positive feedback from other countries in the region and beyond, as well as the course of realization of this initiative.
Together with my Kazakh counterpart, we also touched upon other areas of bilateral cooperation, including energy, high technology, innovative education and decentralized cooperation. On the path of development of cooperation in all these areas, we have emphasized the importance of maintaining direct flights.
The effective implementation of initiatives in these areas not only aims to deepen our mutually beneficial and strategically oriented partnership but also fosters interpersonal connections within the framework of mutual respect and the friendship that has developed between our peoples. It is for this reason that we place particular importance on events such as cultural exchange programs. Last October, Days of Armenia were successfully held in Kazakhstan, and in April, we look forward to hosting Days of Kazakhstan in Armenia.
Dear colleagues,
Minister Nurtleu and I also exchanged views on our cooperation within multilateral platforms. We can affirm that our shared perspectives and mutual trust contribute to a continued constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue in the future.
Naturally, our discussions today also covered regional issues. I briefed the Minister on the latest developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process, including the fact that the draft agreement on the “Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan” has been finalized, Armenia’s proposal for its signing, as well as Armenia’s other initiatives aimed at achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace.
As I have stated on multiple occasions, Armenia’s position is clear: mutual recognition of territorial integrity, the implementation of the delimitation process based on the principles of the Alma-Ata Declaration, and the opening of regional communication routes guided by the principles of each state’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as equality and reciprocity. Clearly, a comprehensive resolution also requires addressing humanitarian issues, including clarifying the fate of missing persons and ensuring the release of prisoners of war and other detained persons.
Minister Nurtleu was already well aware of Armenia’s vision and constructive approach, given his engagement in the process, including by hosting my meeting with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan in Almaty last year. Today, I emphasized that after long negotiations, the time has come to sign the agreement and move forward towards establishing peace in the South Caucasus and opening of economic opportunities.
Mr. Minister,
In conclusion, I would like to highlight that our shared commitment to the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as our mutual interest in the development and diversification of regional economic and transport connections, further broadens the horizons of our cooperation.
I am convinced that through our joint efforts, we will continue to enhance and strengthen our bilateral strategically oriented relations.
Once again, I express my gratitude for your invitation, the warm reception and today’s open and productive discussions. These reciprocal visits and active engagements establish a solid institutional foundation for our bilateral partnership. In this regard, I am pleased to extend an invitation for you to visit Armenia at your convenience.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia