Armenian and Cypriot Officials Discuss Deepening of Bilateral Relations
The working visit of Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan to Cyprus began on 29 July with his participation in the Annual Ambassadors' Conference of Cyprus. Organised at the invitation of the Cypriot Foreign Minister, the event was attended by some 50 ambassadors and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Mirzoyan began with introductory remarks and then answered questions from the audience. He thanked the Cypriot Foreign Minister for the invitation, noting that it was the first of its kind for Armenia.
Ararat Mirzoyan emphasised: "We have excellent relations with Cyprus. Today we can say without any doubt that our cooperation in various fields has already reached the level of a strategic partnership. The dynamics of cooperation and the deep understanding of each other's positions are exceptional. Together with my dear colleague, Minister Kombos, we have agreed to further intensify cooperation and Armenia is planning to establish a resident diplomatic mission in Cyprus. I believe that this will help us to further synchronise our joint efforts and expand the dimensions of cooperation".
Minister Mirzoyan also presented the priorities of Armenia's foreign policy, the steps taken for its implementation, democratic reforms and cooperation with international partners. He highlighted existing regional challenges and the processes of normalisation of relations with neighbouring countries, including efforts to conclude a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. The "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by the Government of Armenia was also discussed and its opportunities highlighted. The agenda of the Armenia-EU Partnership, recent achievements and future prospects were discussed in detail.
The visit continued with bilateral talks between Minister Mirzoyan and his Cypriot counterpart, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus. During a tête-à-tête meeting, Mirzoyan made an entry in the guest book of honour, underlining the developing partnership between Armenia and Cyprus, rooted in the friendship between their peoples and the mutual willingness to expand cooperation.
Later on 29 July, during his working visit to Nicosia, Mirzoyan met with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides. They discussed the high-level political dialogue between the two countries and regional issues. Both officials underlined the importance of the decision to open Resident Embassies in Yerevan and Nicosia as a step towards broadening the partnership and ensuring the continuity of tangible results. Mirzoyan underlined the readiness to implement new initiatives in areas of mutual interest, in particular in the promotion of the economy, high technologies and tourism. In the current complex geopolitical environment, the importance of close cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and on multilateral platforms, was underlined. They also discussed efforts to deepen Armenia's partnership with the European Union and regional developments, including Armenia's approach to the normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan and the importance of the "Crossroads of Peace" project.
On 29 July, Mirzoyan also met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Annita Demetriou, in the presence of Vardges Mahtesyan, who represents the Armenian community in the Cypriot Parliament. They expressed satisfaction with the high level of political dialogue between Armenia and Cyprus, based on friendly relations and mutual willingness to deepen cooperation. The opening of Resident Embassies in the two capitals and regular interparliamentary contacts were considered essential for advancing the bilateral agenda. They discussed cooperation in multilateral fora, ongoing democratic reforms in Armenia and support from EU member states. Mirzoyan highlighted the prospects for deepening Armenia's partnership with the EU and efforts to promote regional stability, including the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia. He also presented the latest developments in the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process and the vision for establishing security and stability in the South Caucasus. Both sides underlined the need to solve existing problems within the framework of international law.