16:06,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi.

In a readout, the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders discussed issues pertaining to the agenda of the January 26 session of the Armenia-Georgia Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, as well as bilateral political and economic ties.

PM Pashinyan and PM Garibashvili “emphasized the strategic nature of cooperation between Armenia and Georgia and expressed confidence that the upcoming meeting of the intergovernmental commission will intensify bilateral partnership in all directions.”

The further development of trade-economic ties and issues concerning the implementation of joint projects in various directions were also discussed.

“Views were exchanged about ongoing processes in the region,” the PM’s office said, adding that the two leaders also highlighted the implementation of consistent steps in the direction of peace and stability.

 17:45,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, summarizing the results of the intergovernmental meeting on Armenia-Georgia economic cooperation, noted that issues related to the cooperation of the two countries in various directions were discussed during the session

"We had a session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, where we discussed important issues related to trade relations. It should be noted that trade relations between our countries are developing, the amount of trade has exceeded the $1 billion threshold. Armenia is the third largest trading partner and the second biggest investment country for Georgia. Last year, we had almost one million tourists from Armenia, which is important for the economic development of our country," Garibashvili said.

According to him, the two countries are not only neighbors, but also historically very strong allies and friends.

"The governments of the two countries are called to further deepen our trade and economic relations," noted the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili.

 17:59,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili  expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would soon sign a peace treaty, Garibashvili  said after the Armenia-Georgia Intergovernmental Commission in Tbilisi.

"We have always been ready and are ready to contribute to the establishment of long-term peace, which will be beneficial both for the countries and peoples of the entire region. We look at the ongoing dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia with great optimism and hope. I hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon sign a peace treaty, undoubtedly promoting and strengthening peace in the region," said Gharibashvili.

 18:13,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. The relations between Armenia and Georgia have entered a qualitatively new stage and recorded success in various fields, and the fact that the meetings of the intergovernmental commission are chaired at the level of the prime ministers speaks of the appreciation of bilateral relations.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during the January 26 session of the Armenia-Georgia Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation in Tbilisi.

“I heartily greet the Prime Minister of Georgia, my good friend Irakli Garibashvili, and all the participants of the 13th session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia.
First, I would like to thank our Georgian colleagues for the traditional warm reception.

The economic cooperation between our countries has great potential, and our task is to contribute to its full disclosure and implementation. In this regard, the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation has an important place in deepening and strengthening the economic ties between the sides.

I would like to state with satisfaction that the agenda of the session of the intergovernmental commission is quite inclusive and covers such areas of bilateral cooperation as transport, communication, energy, information technology, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, education and science, culture, environmental protection, etc. I attach importance to the full implementation of the agreements reached within the framework of the session, which will give new quality and substance to the relations between our countries.

I am happy to report that last year the volume of trade between the two countries exceeded 1 billion US dollars. I am sure that this is not the maximum, and in the coming years, the positive dynamics of the trade turnover will be preserved, thanks to the growth of the economies of the two countries and the deepening of interaction,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

The Armenian Prime Minister noted that due to the existing realities in the relations between the two countries, new opportunities have been created for cooperation and implementation of joint projects.

“In this regard, it is noteworthy that a decision was made on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Armenia and Georgia. I am confident that this format corresponds to the existing level of relations between our countries, and will also open new opportunities for further deepening of interaction,” concluded the PM.

 19:11,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS.  Bilateral documents were signed within the framework of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation between Armenia and Georgia held in Tbilisi, which was chaired by Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili, Nikol Pashinyan's Office said in a readout.

It is noted that Nikol Pashinyan and Irakli Garibashvili signed the minutes of the "13th session of the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia" and the declaration "On the establishment of strategic partnership between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia".

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili signed the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of Georgia on the implementation of paid activities by the family members of the staff of diplomatic missions and consular institutions.

According to the source, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia Arman Khojoyan and Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Tengiz Nasaridze signed a memorandum of understanding "On cooperation in the field of agriculture between the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia".

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Georgia Ashot Smbatyan and Deputy Minister of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia Tamila Barkalaia signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia on cooperation in the field of labor and social protection.

 19:17,

 19:23,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS.  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili made statements summarizing the results of the session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Armenia and Georgia for media representatives, Armenian PM's Office said in a statement.

In his speech, Irakli Garibashvili said: "Dear Mr. Prime Minister, it is a great honor for me to host you in Tbilisi. We had a warm conversation with Mr. Prime Minister. We discussed important issues related to the cooperation of our countries in various directions.

We also had a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, where we also discussed important issues which referred to trade and bilateral relations. I must mention that the trade relations between our countries are developing, the trade turnover has exceeded 1 billion USD, Armenia is the 6th trade and 2nd investment partner country for Georgia. This should also be praised. Last year, we had almost 1 million visitors and tourists from Armenia in Georgia. This is important for the economic development of our country.

Last summer, we announced that we will sign a memorandum on strategic partnership. I want to note that we are traditional, historically very powerful allies, friends, not just neighbors, we have a very good partnership, we cooperate in all directions. De facto we were already strategic friends and strategic partners. Today we can already say that this reality was defined, and today we officially signed an agreement on strategic partnership. We are grateful to our Armenian partners, the two governments are called to further deepen the trade and economic relations.

Georgia has always advocated establishment of long-term peace and stability in the region. Mr. Prime Minister knows very well my position, the position of our government. We have always been ready and are ready to contribute to the establishment of this long-term peace, which will benefit the countries and peoples of the entire region. We look at the ongoing dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia with great optimism and hope. I want to express our hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon conclude a peace treaty, which is undoubtedly important for our countries and nations.

I also want to note that both Armenia and Georgia have very high economic growth, and it is important to maintain this dynamic. Mr. Prime Minister and I mentioned once again that December was a very important month, December 15 for us, for our country. Georgia received, acquired the status of a candidate for the European Union and became a candidate for membership to the European Union, which is very important not only for our country, people, but also for the region.

I want to note once again that work on regional projects must be continued at a high pace. We heard Mr. Pashinyan's confirmed interest in regional projects, like the Black Sea cable project, we are also working on other projects, I mean big projects. I want to note once again that this day is very important and historical. Thanks once again to my friend, my colleague. Let me give the floor to him."

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said,

"Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear attendees,
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

The 13th session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia was held today. I would like to express my gratitude to Prime Minister Garibashvili, our Georgian colleagues for hosting this session in Tbilisi.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to sincerely congratulate the Georgian government on obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership, emphasizing the contribution of both the government led by Prime Minister Garibashvili and the people of Georgia in that process. This is a historic event for Georgia and the entire region.

I am happy to emphasize that after the restart of the format of the intergovernmental commission in 2019, the meetings are held regularly, greatly contributing to the effective functioning of the commission. Today we discussed a wide range of issues, from teconomy to trade and investment, from the energy sector to education, culture and people-to-people contacts.

During our discussions, we also touched upon the unblocking of trade and transport channels of the South Caucasus and the possibilities of creating new communications. We emphasized the availability of reliable infrastructure for economic progress, emphasized possible cooperation within the framework of transport networks, energy systems, telecommunications and other projects aimed at improving and deepening regional connectivity.

In this context, it is worth noting that the customs authorities of the two countries are actively discussing models of implementation of joint customs control at the border crossing point. This process will have a significant impact in terms of shortening the terms of custom administration, efficient organization of functions and simplification of cargo transportation.

I also presented to our colleagues the developments regarding Armenian government’s "Crossroads of Peace" project, which I had the opportunity to speak about and present last year in October, during my participation in the fourth "Tbilisi Silk Road" conference at the invitation of Prime Minister Garibashvili. This project is aimed at promoting the regional connectivity, respecting the sovereignty of states and the principles of equality and reciprocity. Under the current realities, when different routes are being changed, our region can become a new transit hub between East and West, North and South.

We emphasized that it is necessary to ensure inclusiveness in regional and extra-regional projects, which will enable all countries of the region to participate in economic processes, promote cooperation and increase efficiency. A vivid example of this is the Black Sea electric cable project, which Armenia shows great interest in joining.

Dear attendees,
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

Today, the interstate relations of Armenia and Georgia were marked by a landmark event. We signed a joint declaration with Prime Minister Garibashvili on establishing a strategic partnership between the Republic of Armenia and Georgia. This achievement is the result of our joint efforts and work over the past few years and reflects our commonality and goal-oriented nature. However, this achievement once again emphasizes the need to multiply our efforts and not limit ourselves to what we have achieved, which we also talked about at the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

During the discussions with Prime Minister Garibashvili, we also agreed to instruct relevant departments to take practical steps to complete the process of delimitation of the interstate border between Armenia and Georgia.

I also informed my colleague about the efforts made by the Armenian government aimed at normalizing relations with Azerbaijan. It was emphasized that belligerent and maximalist rhetoric does not contribute to the settlement process. I hope that after the presidential elections in Azerbaijan, the negotiation process will reach its full scale aimed at completing the revision of the peace treaty on the basis of the already agreed and well-known principles.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Prime Minister Garibashvili,

Summing up and giving information about our talks with Prime Minister Garibashvili, I would also like to say that we have made a joint decision to maintain and deepen regular dialogue at all levels with the aim of strengthening cooperation and overcoming possible problems along the way.

I would like to thank you once again, dear Irakli, for the warm reception shown to me and my delegation and wish all success and more efficiency to our cooperation. Thank you."

 21:14,

 11:34,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has congratulated his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu on the country’s national holiday, the Republic Day.

“Despite several challenges of history, the development of the republic and constitutionalism have best embodied the Indian nation’s ideas of unity and solidarity anchored on civilizational values,” President Khachaturyan said in a letter to President Murmu.  “I am happy to note that the relations based on historic and friendly ties between Armenia and India are embarking into the practical phase. I am sure that in today’s multipolar world we will continue with joint efforts to contribute to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally. I wish you robust health and success, and peace and welfare to the friendly people of India,” Khachaturyan said.

 11:50,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan has congratulated Governor-General of Australia David Hurley on the country’s national day.

“I am convinced that the friendly relations between Armenia and Australia based on mutual respect and trust, and the mutually beneficial cooperation will further deepen and expand for the benefit of our peoples’ welfare,” President Khachaturyan said in a letter to Governor-General Hurley. I wish you robust health and success, and eternal peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Australia.”