The Government of the Republic of Armenia

Armenian and Georgian Prime Ministers Karen Karapetyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili summed up the results of their meeting with statements made in the wake of their talks in the Office of Government.

RA Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan: “Dear Mr. Prime Minister, my dear friend, once again I warmly welcome you and your delegation to the Republic of Armenia and assure you that we are very happy about this visit. I have to state that the Armenian-Georgian relations continue to develop in the atmosphere of mutual trust. I also wish to inform that our meeting went off in a very warm and constructive atmosphere today.

We discussed bilateral relations and regional issues. We talked about the vectors of our bilateral cooperation: the free economic zone in Meghri. We agreed on how to move ahead in the energy and transport sectors. We talked about tourism and healthcare. We agreed to take steps with a view to boosting communication between our two friendly countries.

We discussed and formulated our approaches on the issue of preserving and rehabilitating the Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Georgia. It should be noted that we came out of negotiations with high spirits and a good mood.

We outlined where to go, and we are confident that despite the fact that we have stated a significant increase in economic relations this year, the actual potential is much greater.

I welcome you once again, and I am pleased to see you in Armenia.”

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili: “Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, my dear friend. Thank you for your warm hospitality. Georgia and Armenia are bound by centuries-old ties of friendship and good-neighborly relations. This is the basis on which we have managed to redesign our interstate relations, and we are pleased with the positive dynamics of bilateral relations.

Last year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Armenian-Georgian diplomatic relations. During these years, we managed to develop confidence-fueled mutually beneficial partnerships between our two fraternal peoples.

2017 was marked by several high-level meetings: early last year, the Prime Minister of Armenia visited Georgia, and today we are in Armenia on a return visit. In late December, the President of Armenia arrived in Georgia on an official visit, and I am glad that the political relations between our two countries are on a really high level.

The importance of this visit and the diversity of issues is evidenced by our diplomatic relations, and I would like to note that my delegation features both ministers and the representative of the parliamentary friendship group.

We discussed many issues related to bilateral economic relations. I welcome the fact that we boast stable dynamics in trade and economic exchanges. I congratulate my colleague on the high rate of economic growth in Armenia. We are pleased with this success as a friendly and neighborly nation.

We focused on important areas such as energy, transport, tourism, cultural exchanges, arts, education and, of course, student exchange programs.

The Georgian side is prepared to promote new relationships between young people, and we have a lot to do in this field. It is likewise important to share the latest achievements, exchange experience, and in this regard, I am happy to visit the TUMO Center. I hope that cooperation in this area will go deepening.

My counterpart stressed the importance of regional cooperation. We are open for and look forward to Armenia’s participation in multilateral projects with Georgia, and we consider that both countries can benefit from the network of free trade zones and the existing contractual framework In this respect, Georgia can benefit from Armenia’s opportunities.

We also welcome the fact that Armenia and the European Union have signed a comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement. Both sides agreed that it is necessary to intensify high-level visits and promote cooperation between the two countries’ government agencies.

We also agreed that technical meetings will be held in the near future so that a meeting of the joint cooperation commission could be organized, and we hope that such a meeting will be held in 2018.

With reference to the governance reforms that are being implemented in Armenia, I welcome the successful elections and Armen Sargsyan, who is Georgia’s friend. These elections have already been held in Parliament, and I want my friendly country to successfully complete the reform that is underway in Armenia.

I want to express satisfaction with the outcome of today’s talks. We will continue to negotiate throughout the day, and many important meetings will be held. I would like to thank my good friend for a warm welcome and wish every success to our friendly, brotherly State.”