A private conversation between President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili and the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian took place at the Georgian Presidential Palace today.
Welcoming the first official visit of the President of Armenia to Georgia, President Zourabichvili thanked for accepting her invitation and noted with joy that the visit of President Sarkissian provides an opportunity to discuss many issues related to bilateral relations and the region.
President Armen Sarkissian thanked for the warm reception and invitation to visit friendly Georgia. He expressed confidence that the results of the visit will contribute to the further development of Armenian-Georgian relations and cooperation. “Our countries, which are bearers of ancient civilizations, have a huge potential for cooperation, as well as a desire to permanently strengthen the inviolable Armenian-Georgian friendship,” said President Sarkissian.
A meeting of the delegations in an expanded format followed the private conversation of the presidents.
Welcoming the official delegation of Armenia, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili said that last year was full of challenges for everyone: the COVID-19 pandemic on the one hand, and the war on the other, which led to more severe consequences. President Zourabichvili expressed her condolences to the relatives of the war victims, noting that Georgia during the conflict and now is a supporter of peace. “We all understand that any conflict in the region harms the whole region, so there is no alternative to peace and security for the development of the Caucasus."
President Sarkissian stated that Armenia attaches great importance to the continuous development of cooperation with neighboring and friendly Georgia, and, as President of the Republic of Armenia, he is ready to make every effort to expand bilateral cooperation. “We have a lot in common. They were throughout our history, but we can work together to create new opportunities. There is a great potential that we can realize together today,” said President Sarkissian.
Issues related to Armenian-Georgian relations and development prospects were discussed at the meeting. The Presidents agreed that there is a great potential for deepening cooperation in various fields. New technologies, education, science, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, energy, transport, tourism, culture, and a number of other areas were singled out.
The Presidents considered the implementation of joint programs in the field of business and investment to promote the development of bilateral relations, emphasizing that they are ready to provide full support to such programs. “We must encourage and promote the implementation of joint Armenian-Georgian business programs,” said President Sarkissian.
The need to deepen cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the coronavirus was especially emphasized.
The sides also touched upon the issues of international and regional security and stability.