State visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

On July 9, President Serzh Sargsyan started his state visit to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

Prior to meeting President Jose Mujica, Serzh Sargsyan visited Independence Square, laid a wreath at the Monument to General Jose Artigas and paid tribute.

The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay discussed a wide range of issues aimed at strengthening the interstate ties and promoting cooperation. The presidents of the two countries were glad to note that Armenia and Uruguay have managed to establish friendly relations based on mutual respect and trust. According to the Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay, the nature of those relations is displayed through their mutual commitment to collaboration and a special attitude toward each other’s concerns. At the meeting, the RA President underscored that Armenia is interested in promoting a comprehensive agenda in the spheres of policy, trade and economy, culture, as well as in other mutually beneficial spheres. The president expressed readiness to put a lot of effort into reaching that goal.

In order to stimulate the Armenian-Uruguayan cooperation, the interlocutors emphasized the need for making reciprocal visits and bringing the two countries’ foreign affairs ministries into regular contact, which gives the opportunity to effectively deal with the issues of reciprocal concern both in bilateral and multilateral formats. In that context President Serzh Sargsyan laid special emphasis on Uruguayan Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Almagro’s visit in May of 2012 and the President of the House of Representatives Jorge Orrico’s visit in November of the same year, as well as on last November’s visit of our compatriot and the Uruguayan Minster of Tourism and Sport Lilian Keshishyan.

In the context of enhancing the Armenian-Uruguayan relations the interlocutors stressed the importance of expanding the legal and contractual base and were happy to state that during the RA President’s visit this base will be supplemented with a few important agreements.

Touching upon the multilateral cooperation, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Jose Mujica also attached great value to effective collaboration within the framework of international organizations as well.

The presidents of the two countries agreed that the Armenian community settled in Uruguay in different historical periods has certainly made a major contribution to developing the Armenian-Uruguayan relations and has been actively engaged in the country’s social and political life; it has also provided a modest input into the development of the friendly country of Uruguay.

The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay stressed that the two countries take similar positions and approaches to the issues of universal importance. According to President Serzh Sargsyan, the striking illustration of this is the fact that being the first country of the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1965, Uruguay stood on the pedestal of the defender of justice and won the sympathy and respect of all Armenians as an honest and reliable friend. Serzh Sargsyan mentioned that Uruguay has played a dominant role in recognizing and condemning the gravest crime against the Armenian people and the entire humanity.

At the end of the meeting documents aimed at promoting and enhancing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries were concluded. Particularly, the Economic Cooperation Agreement between the government of the Republic of Armenia and the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Agreement on the Elimination of Entrance Visa Requirements for Ordinary Passports between the government of the Republic of Armenia and the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Cooperation Framework Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Sports between the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay were concluded. The Presidents of Armenia and Uruguay signed a joint statement on the results of the visit.

On his state visit to the Republic of Uruguay President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori.

At the outset the Armenian President presented his appreciation for the warm reception and stressed that he considered it a great honor to arrive in the friendly state of Uruguay on a state visit.

At the meeting the parties touched upon the promotion of the inter-parliamentary ties between Armenia and Uruguay and attached great weight to the role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening the interstate relations.

The interlocutors paid close attention to the parliamentary friendship groups whose intensive activities, reciprocal visits and contacts, according to President Serzh Sargsyan and the Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori, can greatly fortify the bilateral friendship.

Serzh Sargsyan and Danilo Astori expressed the belief that the Armenian President’s state visit to Uruguay will yield positive results and will further promote the agenda of the Armenian-Uruguayan inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The Vice President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay and the President of the Senate Danilo Astori was pleased to accept President Serzh Sargsyan’s invitation to visit Armenia and underscored that it is his great desire to be in the fatherland of his numerous friends with whom he has warm relations. He stated with satisfaction that there are Armenians by birth working at the Uruguayan parliament and at the staff of the Senate who provide input into legislative activities.

On behalf of his country Danilo Astori suggested that Armenia uses Uruguay as a gate to develop trade and economic ties with other countries of the South American region.

On his state visit the Armenian President visited Armenia Square in Montevideo. The president paid tribute at the cross-stone to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide installed next to the square.

In the morning of the first day of his visit to the Republic of Uruguay President Serzh Sargsyan visited Conaprole cooperative which has great agricultural potential. Here the Armenian President was introduced the factory’s entire range of products the 70 percent of which is exported to different countries of the world and familiarized with the production potential.

At the end of the day on behalf of President Jose Mujica of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay an official dinner was held in honor of President Serzh Sargsyan having arrived in Uruguay on a state visit.

The presidents of the two countries exchanged toasts, touched upon the history of the Armenian-Uruguayan friendly relations, the Armenian community of Uruguay which plays a major role in strengthening the ties between the two countries, the development potential of the interstate relations and the need for making efforts at realizing their full potential for the benefit of the two countries.

President Serzh Sargsyan having arrived in the Republic of Uruguay on a state visit today visited Saint Nerses Shnorhali Church. After the welcome speech of the leader of the Uruguayan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Hakob Glnjyan, in his address to the representatives of the Armenian community of Uruguay Serzh Sargsyan noted that he was glad and proud to find out that there was such an influential and organized community in the remote country of Uruguay. “I am proud that you have managed not only to ensure a patriotic atmosphere, not only to tell your children that despite being Uruguayan citizens they are Armenians, but also to win the respect of all the rest of Uruguayan citizens. Together we make each other stronger and only together we can fulfill our national goals,” said President Serzh Sargsyan.

The Armenian President laid a wreath at the memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide located at the church yard and paid tribute to their memory.

Later on, President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the representatives of Uruguay’s Armenian organizations and benefactors at the AGBU’s Nubaryan college. By the decree of the RA President the representative of the ARF and Uruguay’s Armenian Cause office Arpi Hochachanyan, the benefactor Karapet Pilavjyan, the Uruguayan Minister of Tourism and Sport Lilian Keshishyan were awarded the Medal of Movses Khorenatsi for strengthening the Motherland-Diaspora ties and making a significant contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity, as well as for carrying out active social and charitable activities. The president awarded the Medal of Mkhitar Gosh to Senator Rafael Michelini and the member of the Uruguayan parliament Ruben Martinez Huelmo for making a significant contribution to the process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Serzh Sargsyan handed the RA state awards, congratulated the awardees and wished them success.