Armenia’s FM holds meetings in Greece

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian is in Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Greece’s president Karolos Papoulias received Armenia’s FM. Welcoming his visit and stressing the Greeks’ warm attitude toward people of Armenia, the Greek president said he is glad for bilateral high-level political relations between the two countries and stressed that steps are necessary for raising the economic cooperation on the same level.

Papoulias also said that he remembers his 2011 visit to Armenia with warmth and expects Serzh Sargsyan’s response visit to Greece.

President Papoulias briefed to the minister on the financial-economic crisis’ consequences and steps addressed toward their elimination.

During the meeting the interlocutors also referred to the Armenia-EU cooperation, negotiations over Association Agreement, facilitation of entrance visa regime, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone Agreement. The parties also referred to the promotion of cooperation in educational and cultural spheres.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Edward Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s position to back Greece in the issue and in his turn, briefed on the recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

On the same day Minister Nalbandyan met with the Greek parliament speaker Evangelos Meimarakis. The parties stressed the intensive cooperation established between the two countries, the active work of the inter-parliamentary friendship groups that promotes the development of interstate relations and deepens friendship between the two peoples.

Later that day Minister Nalbandian met with his Greek counterpart. The parties discussed the level of political dialogue between the two counties, development of trade-economic relations, military cooperation, activity of inter-governmental commission, expansion of partnership in the spheres of tourism, culture.

The two FMs also exchanged thoughts over Armenia-EU cooperation. An arrangement has been reached to conduct high-level inter-governmental meeting in fall 2013 as well as make exchanges between diplomatic educational establishments.