Friday, 1 October 2021
Deputy PM Suren Papikyan receives Ambassador of the UK John Gallagher
On October 1, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan received the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia John Gallagher.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed satisfaction for the meeting and acquaintance, noting that the development of the Armenian-British relations is important for Armenia. He added that there are many unexploited opportunities in bilateral relations, and it is necessary to create new agendas through mutual efforts. Suren Papikyan expressed the readiness of the Armenian Government to develop bilateral cooperation in political, economic, social, cultural and scientific-educational spheres.
UK Ambassador John Gallagher thanked for the reception, congratulating Suren Papikyan on assuming the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia and wishing him productive activity. Presenting the results of the meetings with different public and political circles of Armenia, he stressed that the United Kingdom is interested in multilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, the sides discussed the prospects of bilateral cooperation in various fields, such as business, tourism, new technologies, the fight against the challenge of climate change, effective governance, and the development of civil society institutions. The Deputy Prime Minister assured that Armenia is committed to the policy of reforms in public administration system, and development of democratic institutions and mechanisms. According to him, Armenia is faithful to the commitment assumed as a result of the revolution of 2018, which is to resolutely pursue the path of becoming member to the family of the world's democracies.
During the conversation Suren Papikyan singled out the possible directions of the Armenian-British cooperation in the economic sphere. Particularly, for the necessity to deepen bilateral cooperation and develop the business sector, the need to resume direct flights between Yerevan and London was noted. They also touched upon the possibilities of cooperation in the field of renewable energy production, in particular the solar energy production, the opportunities for joint application of new technologies in the sphere of science and education.
Referring to the situation in the post-war period, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed the need for multilateral efforts to establish stability and peace in the region. He praised the position of the United Kingdom that the platform for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is the OSCE Minsk Group, which will bring sustainable and lasting peace. The security and socio-economic situation in Syunik was also discussed. In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister presented the priorities of the Government of the Republic of Armenia for the renewal of the road network of the region, the development of communities and the improvement of the socio-economic situation of the population, expressing confidence that significant progress is expected in that direction by the end of the year.
