Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary Zsolt Semjén․
The Prime Minister welcomed the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary to our country and expressed satisfaction with the restoration of bilateral diplomatic relations after a long break. Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope that Armenia and Hungary will be able to fill in the gap in the shortest possible time. The Prime Minister noted that the Ambassador of Hungary to Armenia handed over his credentials to the President of Armenia, and now Mr. Semjén's visit is taking place, while the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary to Armenia is expected in the near future. Nikol Pashinyan added that all this testifies to the mutual desire to bring bilateral cooperation to a new level. The Prime Minister emphasized the strengthening of Armenian-Hungarian ties in the context of Armenia-EU cooperation.
Zsolt Semjén thanked for the warm welcome and conveyed to Nikol Pashinyan the greetings of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Mr. Semjén also attached importance to the restoration of bilateral diplomatic relations and emphasized the interest of the Hungarian government to develop and expand cooperation with Armenia. In that sense, he emphasized the important role of the Armenian community of Hungary.
Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the Hungarian government for the care and preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage.
The parties emphasized the need to promote cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism, culture and education. In that regard, steps aimed at restoring direct air traffic between Yerevan and Budapest were highlighted. Zsolt Semjén, in turn, informed that the Hungarian government has initiated a scholarship program for Armenian students.
Next, the interlocutors touched upon various issues of regional and international importance.
Nikol Pashinyan presented the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted by Azerbaijan's illegal blockade of the Lachin Corridor and emphasized that the local Armenians are experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result. The Prime Minister recorded that the Azerbaijani side has stopped gas and electricity supplies from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, and food is transported only through peacekeepers. According to Nikol Pashinyan, all this being done by Azerbaijan pursues the goal to carry out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Prime Minister highlighted the adequate response of the international community to what is happening.
