11:36, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid on November 22 in Yerevan.

President Khachaturyan and President Abdul Latif Rashid held a one-on-one meeting followed by an enlarged-format meeting. A joint press conference is expected next.

President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid arrived in Armenia on an official visit on November 21. The Iraqi President will also meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan.

 12:42, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Russia has sent 40 tons of humanitarian aid to Armenia for the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has said.

“The humanitarian aid is intended for the citizens who were forced to leave the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” the ministry said on social media.

The humanitarian aid is sent at the order of President Putin.

The aid consists of food, blankets and a mobile power station.

 12:48, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid said his visit to Armenia is aimed at strengthening the cooperation in the political, cultural, economic and tourism sectors.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, the Iraqi president described his visit to Armenia as a ‘historic’ trip.

“This is the first visit by an Iraqi president to Armenia, that’s why I consider this to be a historic visit. I am grateful to Armenia for the hospitality and warm reception,” the Iraqi president said.

He said that Armenia and Iraq have very strong geographic, cultural and social ties. “We are proud of the Armenian community of Iraq. Their coexistence with the Iraqi people comes from very early times,” President Abdul Latif Rashid said. 

The Iraqi president said his country is now addressing the reforms of the service sector and it needs support from the international community, including from friendly countries like Armenia.

He said that there is great potential for trade cooperation with Armenia. The president also called for establishing direct air connection between Armenia and Iraq to contribute to an increase in mutual visits.

 13:15, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Germany will provide €84,6 million in aid in the form of grants and loans to Armenia.

The aid was announced by Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen.

Annen is in Yerevan to participate in the first session of the Armenian-German Intergovernmental meeting.

Armenia’s Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan said the aid will be directed to vocational technical education and new projects in renewable energy.

Kerobyan said that trade turnover between Armenia and Germany tripled in the past three years.

The November 22 talks were the first intergovernmental negotiations between Armenia and Germany since 2014.

“I believe that this is a very clear message to the whole world that Germany and Armenia are opening a new road towards cooperation. Armenia is once again proving that it is committed to democracy, to a democratic society,” Annen added.

A separate aid is envisaged to the Armenian government for receiving and integrating the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Investments will be made in the renewable energy sector, which will allow Armenia to lower electricity prices.

 “We will focus on strengthening Armenia’s energy independence, which was highlighted in our cooperation negotiations,” the German official said.

 13:34, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Iraq is an important and trusted partner for Armenia in the Middle East, President Vahagn Khachaturyan told President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid in Yerevan at a joint press conference.

“Your visit is indeed a historic one, because you are the first Iraqi president to pay an official visit to Armenia since the establishment of diplomatic relations. I am sure that your visit will open a new chapter in the Armenian-Iraqi relations, and will intensify the multi-sectoral cooperation between the friendly states,” Khachaturyan said.

President Khachaturyan was pleased to note that Armenia’s relations with Arab countries have been developing in an atmosphere of mutual trust and warm friendship ever since Armenia regained independence.

“Bilateral agenda is rather comprehensive and includes numerous areas of cooperation, from trade and economic relations up to educational-cultural, humanitarian and information technologies,” the Armenian President said, adding that the rich past of Armenian-Arab historic-cultural interactions and the presence of the Armenian community in Iraq with a history of centuries are the solid foundation for dynamic development of relations.

“The Armenian nation is grateful to the friendly people of Iraq, especially for receiving the Armenian Genocide survivors and giving them shelter,” Khachaturyan said, thanking the Iraqi government for its caring attitude towards the Armenian-Iraqis. “Iraq is an important and trusted partner for Armenia in the Middle East.”

He added that Armenia is greatly interested in developing the bilateral agenda with Iraq, especially in the trade-economic area.

“We had productive talks with Mr. President Abdul Latif Rashid, during which we discussed a number of issues of mutual interest,” Khachaturyan said.

The presidents expressed certainty that trade volumes can be increased. They also attached importance to the Armenian-Iraqi intergovernmental meeting on economic cooperation that was held in September in Baghdad.

The presidents also discussed cooperation in areas such as agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure development, food and light industry, education, science and culture.

Cooperation in high technologies and digitization was highlighted. “In this regard I said that Armenia is ready to convey to the Iraqi side its successful experience of many years in this sector,” the Armenian President said.

The Armenian and Iraqi Presidents reiterated mutual readiness to strengthen interstate relations.

 13:49, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. President Vahagn Khachaturyan said he presented to his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid the Crossroads of Peace project at their meeting on November 22 in Yerevan. 

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Iraqi president, the Armenian president said they discussed issues of partnership around regional and international matters.

“We emphasized the need for dialogue around regional security environment and joining efforts in conditions of the processes taking place in the international arena and the resulting challenges. I presented to my respected counterpart the Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Armenian government,” Khachaturyan said.

He said that Armenia is interested in the unblocking of regional economic and transport connections based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, jurisdiction and reciprocity.

During the meeting the presidents also attached importance to strengthening cooperation as part of fighting all manifestations of international terrorism, and making joint efforts aimed at countering illegal migration.

The Crossroads of Peace project is about creating new infrastructures or improving the scope and quality of the existing ones. Armenia is ready to establish five checkpoints on the Armenia-Azerbaijan borders for road infrastructures including in Kayan, Sotk, near Karahunj, near Angeghakot , and Yeraskh. Also, to establish two checkpoints on the Armenia-Turkiye border in Akhurik and Margara for road infrastructures. Armenia is prepared to ensure communications between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkiye, by restoring four railway sections in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia is ready to restore the Nrnadzor-Agarak railway section and to establish checkpoints near the borders, to restore the railway section from Yeraskh to the border of Nakhchivan and to establish a checkpoint in Yeraskh, to restore the depleted parts of the railway from Gyumri to the border of Turkiye and to establish a checkpoint in Akhurik. Also, Armenia is prepared to restore the depleted parts of railway from Hrazdan to Kayan and to establish a checkpoint in Kayan. This will create new links between all the countries of the region. The principles of the Crossroads of Peace are: all infrastructures including roads, railways, airways, pipelines, cables and power lines operate under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass; each country, through its state institutions, in its territory ensures border control, customs control and security of the infrastructures, including the passage through its territory of vehicles, cargo and people; All infrastructures can be used for both international and domestic transportation; countries use all the infrastructures on the basis of reciprocity and equality, and in accordance with these principles border and customs controls can be facilitated through mutual consent and agreement. As missing sections of railways and roads are restored and infrastructures unlocked, it will become possible to establish a seamless connection between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads. The Government of the Republic of Armenia reaffirms its commitment to contribute its share to the region’s peace and stability, and to make practical measures to build the Crossroads of Peace.

 14:08, 22 November 2023

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Niels Annen, has said that Germany appreciates the Crossroads of Peace project proposed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Armenian-German intergovernmental session in Yerevan, Annen said that Armenia has made much effort to improve its investment environment.

“Many discussions are taking place on the government level. But some business associations from Germany are also involved in these talks. Everyone in Germany understands and sees that numerous efforts have been made in improving Armenia’s investment environment. We’ve seen progress in Armenia particularly in the fight against corruption and we will make additional investments in this direction to maintain and further develop what has been achieved so far,” he said.

“There are challenges in the region. And taking into account the general environment in the region, allow me to emphasize that any investment in the direction of improving the environment must be made through overcoming the problems in the region. We highly appreciate the Crossroads of Peace idea proposed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which will give many opportunities in this regard. We will once again present this to German businesses, and we hope that by taking into account the environment they will increase or continue their investments,” the German official added.