Meeting with the President of the European Parliament

On November 15, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, the Press Office of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported.

As a continuation of the discussion with the Prime Minister of Armenia in October, Ararat Mirzoyan and Roberta Metsola exchanged views on the main directions of the Armenia-EU comprehensive partnership agenda and joint efforts to deepen it. Both parties expressed willingness to take additional initiatives to enhance cooperation between the European Parliament and the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

"Highly appreciating the principled position expressed and the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament on issues of the greatest importance to Armenia to this day, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of continuous and solid support for democracy in Armenia and for real efforts to establish peace in the region. Touching upon Armenia's approaches in this direction, Minister Mirzoyan stressed that with the active participation of international partners and Azerbaijan's commitment to the principles of the Statement adopted in Granada in October, it will be possible to achieve peace in the region. The importance of excluding the use of force or the threat of force and the implementation of such programs as the "Crossroads of Peace" developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia was stressed," the report added.

"Ararat Mirzoyan briefed the President of the European Parliament on the steps taken for addressing the needs and rights of more than 100,000 refugees, who were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and found refuge in Armenia, resulting from the 10-month-long blockade and the military attack on September 19 by Azerbaijan," it noted.

Mirzoyan at the 15th annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

On November 15, Ararat Mirzoyan delivered remarks at the 15th annual Assembly of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.

He said, "It is difficult to sustain democracy if there is no conducive environment. The collapse of the European security architecture, the rise of authoritarianism in the world, massive violations of the UN Charter on the one hand, and the democratic values on the other make it necessary to seriously rethink how the EU should position itself. And this requires the EU not only strengthening its links with Eastern Partners, but also the EU encouraging the cooperation among Eastern Partners."

"We are cooperating on the implementation of the reform agenda, on the realization of flagship initiatives of 2.6 billion euros, and in many other fields. Recently, we launched the high-level Armenia-EU Political and Security Dialogue, the second round of which is taking place today in Brussels. I should also commend the decision of the EU to deploy a monitoring mission along the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," the report noted.

Meeting with the Vice-President of the European Commission

On November 15, Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission Vice-President for "Promoting our European Way of Life."

Welcoming the positive dynamics towards the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue, Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized that the final decision in this direction will align with the deepening Armenia-EU cooperation and will play a significant role in stimulating people-to-people ties.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia and the Vice President of the European Commission discussed the existing and future possible cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), as well as issues of mutual interest in security.

Both sides emphasized Armenia's progress in several indexes related to the European way of life. They stressed the importance of the EU's consistent support for ambitious reforms in strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights implemented by Armenia.

Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium

On November 15, Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with Hadja Lahbib, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium.

The interlocutors commended the high-level political dialogue between the two countries and the opening of the resident Embassy of Belgium in Yerevan. They exchanged views on deepening cooperation in trade and economy, information technologies, culture, people-to-people contacts, and other fields. Both sides emphasized the importance of deepening the Armenia-EU partnership, positively assessing the existing results and planned programs.

Minister Mirzoyan presented the "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, pointing out the opportunities outlined by this program for the region's countries and beyond. Armenia's interest in unblocking regional communications under sovereignty and jurisdiction on the principles of reciprocity and equality was emphasized.

Meeting with the Commissioner for EU Neighborhood and Enlargement Issues

On November 15, the Armenian Foreign Minister met with Olivér Várhelyi, the EU Neighborhood and Enlargement Commissioner.

Issues of the comprehensive agenda of the Armenia-EU partnership were discussed during the meeting. The interlocutors exchanged ideas on expanding the existing dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest. In this context, the holding of the second high-level session of the Armenia-EU political and security dialogue in Brussels on November 15 was also highlighted.

To develop trade and economic relations between Armenia and the EU, the effective implementation of leading initiatives worth 2.6 billion euros for Armenia within the framework of the EU economic and investment plan was emphasized. From the point of view of ensuring the effectiveness of regional programs, Minister Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of Armenia joining the "Black Sea Electric Cable" project, in line with the October joint statement of the Armenian Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission.