Pashinyan on Palestinian-Israeli conflict: Armenia has always  supported "two states" principle adopted by int l community

ArmInfo. Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, made statements to media representatives after their meeting. 

As the press service of the RA Government reports, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted in his speech, in part:

"Your Excellency, Honorable President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,

Dear attendees, Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Honorable President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, for the invitation to pay an official visit to Egypt, as well as for the warm hospitality shown to me and the delegation led by me.  Egypt is one of Armenia's key partners in the Middle East, and I appreciate this opportunity to meet. The frequency of contacts between the top political leaders of our countries, the mutually beneficial multi-sector cooperation are not only the evidence of warm relations between our countries, but also testify to a joint vision for the future.

Due to the tensions and unfolding processes in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, during the meeting with President el-Sisi, we touched on security, political and regional issues, as well as the efforts of Armenia and Egypt aimed at establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus and the Middle East, respectively.  Emphasizing the support of international partners for establishing peace in the South Caucasus, I expressed to President el-Sisi Armenia's high appreciation for the balanced and constructive position adopted by Egypt in this matter.

I presented my colleague with the latest developments in the negotiations with Azerbaijan, reaffirming the readiness of the Armenian government to normalize relations based on the recognition of the territorial integrity of the two countries and the implementation of the border demarcation process in accordance with the 1991 Declaration of Alma-Ata. For the stability of the South Caucasus and the wider region, the unblocking of regional infrastructures is also of key importance, based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of states, reciprocity and equality. In this regard, we developed and presented the "Crossroads of Peace" project, the implementation of which can completely change the situation in the region and establish mutually beneficial cooperation, connecting the East to the West and the North to the South.

Mr. President,

Armenia expresses regret for tens of thousands of innocent victims as a result of escalation of military operations in Gaza. We have also experienced the horror of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, and we join the calls of the international community for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In this regard, we highly praise the steps taken by Egypt to ensure uninterrupted access of humanitarian aid to Gaza, to receive wounded Palestinians and to evacuate foreigners. We also discussed and need the support and advice of our Egyptian partners regarding our delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and I express gratitude to President el-Sisi for his willingness to help in this matter. Our foreign ministers will deal with this issue. As for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Armenia has always supported the "two states" principle adopted by the international community.

I would like to note with satisfaction that today Armenia and Egypt are effectively cooperating in the fields of politics, economy, science, high technologies, education, culture, tourism and other fields. Effective cooperation has also been formed in a number of multilateral platforms. Egypt is also a reliable partner for us in our relations and dialogue with the Islamic world.

I cannot fail to mention that the Egyptian-Armenian community has a special role in the relations between Armenia and Egypt, which for centuries has contributed both to the development of Egypt and to the strengthening of ties between our countries. In this regard, I must express special thanks for the care that our compatriots living in Egypt have always enjoyed and continue to enjoy at the state level.

Honorable Mr. President,

Following your visit to Armenia, the increase in the interest of Egyptian investors towards Armenia has become noticeable. Managers and representatives of famous Egyptian companies visited our country in order to get acquainted with investment opportunities on the spot. I hope that during the meeting with Egyptian businessmen within the framework of this visit, we will give an additional impetus to economic relations.  At present, practical steps are being taken in the direction of the development of trade and economic relations. In the current year, it is planned to hold the regular session of the intergovernmental joint commission between the Republic of Armenia and the Arab Republic of Egypt, which will also include a business forum. During the year, it is expected to hold two more sector-specific business conferences. The Armenian government will encourage Armenian businessmen to participate in the mentioned conferences to be held in Cairo.

Tourism is developing dynamically in bilateral relations. Egypt has been one of the preferred vacation destinations for our citizens for years, and the number of our tourists is growing significantly every year.  Dear President el-Sisi,

Summarizing my speech, I would like to emphasize again the importance of high-level mutual visits in the last two years and wish our states strong relations and new achievements in joint work for the welfare of our peoples. Thank you once again for your warm reception. Thank you".