2024-03-25
Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia:
"I am glad to host the newly appointed Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze and his delegation in Armenia for the first time. I would like to congratulate my colleague once again, already in person, on the occasion of assuming the responsible position of the Prime Minister of Georgia. I am sure that Mr. Kobakhidze will make a serious contribution to the deepening of relations between Armenia and Georgia with his careful consistency.
You know that this year on January 26, the 13th Session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia was held in Tbilisi, during which the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed between Armenia and Georgia, which outlines an ambitious perspective for further development of our bilateral relations covering all fields. Today, my colleague and I had the opportunity to discuss possible and necessary steps towards the practical implementation of this joint declaration. I want to emphasize that unconditional recognition of each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty is a core element in that declaration. The continuous deepening and expansion of cooperation with Georgia is of strategic importance not only from the point of view of bilateral relations between our countries, but also from the point of view of ensuring stability and mutually beneficial cooperation in the region.
As you know, at the end of last year, Georgia acquired the status of a candidate country for EU membership. I would like to emphasize that Armenia reacted enthusiastically to the news, considering what happened as an important event that will have a direct impact not only on our region, but also on Armenia-Georgia bilateral relations. The Republic of Armenia supported and continues to support Georgia's aspirations to join the European Union.
During today's meeting, I also presented to my colleague our perceptions regarding regional processes and the developments and current state of the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I reaffirmed that Armenia assumes its share of responsibility for establishing peace and stability in the region. We expect that other actors will show a similar approach. I have emphasized that Armenia is ready to move forward in the process of normalization of relations with Azerbaijan based on the 3 principles already known and agreed at the highest level between Armenia and Azerbaijan, namely: mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty based on the Alma-Ata Declaration, implementation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process based on the same Alma-Ata Declaration, as well as unblocking the economic infrastructure of the region based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries, ensuring equality and reciprocity. Regarding the latter, we believe that the "Crossroads of Peace" project put forward by the Armenian government will become one of the future topics of the strategic partnership between our countries. We know and see that Georgia is not only interested in the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but is also actively trying to contribute to that process, for which I would like to thank our Georgian partners.
Dear Prime Minister Kobakhidze, summarizing, I would like to report with satisfaction that the relations between Armenia and Georgia are developing dynamically. I assure you that the Armenian government will continue to make efforts, not being satisfied with what has been achieved, to open new horizons in the relations between the two countries. Once again, I welcome you to Yerevan and thank you for today's productive discussions."
Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia:
"I am deeply honored to be visiting Armenia shortly after taking office as Prime Minister. I extend my sincere gratitude for your warm hospitality. The longstanding friendship between our nations and peoples spans centuries. The agreement on strategic partnership we recently signed marks a significant milestone, elevating our collaboration to a new level of quality. This declaration is focused on strengthening bilateral ties, fostering regional peace and stability, and is rooted in our shared values and principles, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to upholding them.
During today's meeting, I expressed my gratitude to the Prime Minister for his steadfast support of our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Also, on behalf of our country, I reiterated our unwavering commitment to upholding Armenia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. I concur with the Prime Minister's satisfaction regarding the dynamic growth of bilateral relations between our two countries, and I believe they are poised to expand even further. Our discussions encompassed various facets of cooperation, including political collaboration, trade, economy, transportation, tourism, among others. Undoubtedly, the continued advancement and deepening of our partnership across these realms hold significant importance.
We engaged in an in-depth discussion about the current developments in the region, underscoring the significance of our collaborative endeavors in addressing the challenges confronting our region. Georgia stands firmly in support of stability and peaceful coexistence in the South Caucasus. I am hopeful that the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will continue to progress positively and eventually result in a relevant agreement.
Georgia stands ready to play a positive role in the processes aimed at fostering peace and stability in our region.
Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for your gracious hospitality and I extend an invitation for you to visit Georgia once again. As we discussed during our meeting, I am eager to reiterate my invitation for you to come to Georgia. High-level bilateral visits play a crucial role in sustaining the strong relationship between our countries and further enhancing the dynamic partnership we enjoy today.
Our task is to fortify our respective nations, and undoubtedly, our cooperation can play a pivotal role in achieving this goal".