Foreign visits
Official visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Germany
On April 6, President Sargsyan met with the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert.
The parties stressed the importance of the interparliamentary cooperation for the strengthening of the Armenian-German interstate relations. With this regard, Serzh Sargsyan highlighted personal contribution of Norbert Lammert. “You not only encourage relations between the two Parliaments, which form a practical platform for the full understanding of mutual interests, but also keep in the focus of your attention issues related to the Armenian people,” said President Sargsyan at the meeting with the President of the German Bundestag Norbert Lammert. As a testimony to his words, President Sargsyan noted Mr. Lammert’s participation to the events conducted in Germany in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, as well as his statement at the special session of the Bundestag dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Norbert Lammert expressed confidence that the official visit of the President of Armenia and meetings with the leadership of Germany conducted in the framework of the visit to Berlin, will elevated the Armenian-German political dialogue to a new level and will expand cooperation of the two countries.
The parties discussed also issues related to the future development of the Armenia-EU relations and expressed hope that the new framework Agreement, which will institutionalize the RA-EU relations, will be signed in the nearest future. In response to Mr. Lammert’s question regarding the constitutional changes conducted in Armenia, President Sargsyan informed him on the forthcoming developments conditioned by the changes and expressed gratitude to the German side for the consultative assistance to the process.
At the meeting, discussed were also the latest developments related to the NK problem.
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President Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Germany on official visit, met today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Noting that his visit to Germany is taking place in the period when Azerbaijan has seriously challenged security of Nagorno Karabakh as well as of Armenia, the President of Armenia spoke in detail about the existing tense situation, which resulted from the violation by Azerbaijan of the ceasefire and unprecedented escalation of the situation, and the latest developments.
“The very fact that at this difficult moment I am here is more than just a testimony to the importance which Armenia attaches to the bilateral relations as well as to Germany’s role as the country presiding in the OSCE,” said the President of Armenia. He underscored that since the OSCE Co-Chairs are entrusted with the resolution of the NK problem, expectations from the OSCE are great. The President said that steps aimed at the establishment of peace are anticipated, and after the re-establishment of the ceasefire regime of 1994 it will be necessary to implement mechanisms which are aimed at the strict adherence to its terms.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany reiterated his appeal to the parties of the conflict regarding the situation and underscored once again that the NK conflict has no military solution; the parties must manifest political will and return to the negotiations conducted in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Minister Steinmeier stressed the importance of the implementation in the area of the conflict of the confidence building measures as well as the resumption of the monitoring in the Line of Contact by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman—in-Office.
At the meeting, the parties stressed also the importance of the establishment of the mechanisms for the investigation of the ceasefire violations. With this regard, President Sargsyan viewed as important the extension of the mandate of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman—in-Office and amplification of the capacities of his Office.
The President of Armenia and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany discussed the dynamically developing agenda of the interstate bilateral relations, and preset opportunities for developing cooperation in a number of areas.
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President Serzh Sargsyan, who is conducting an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, today met with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Serzh Sargsyan and Angela Merkel discussed a wide range of issues pertinent to the bilateral and multilateral Armenian-German relations and spoke about further mutual steps aimed at the strengthening of the bilateral ties. The President of Armenia and German Chancellor discussed also issues related to the situation in the region, and spoke in detail about the condition on the Line of Contact of the NK conflict.
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In the framework of his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, President Serzh Sargsyan met with the highest leadership of the Federal Republic of Germany. In Berlin, President Sargsyan met with President Joachim Gauck.
At the beginning of the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude to President Gauck for his humanitarian activities and noted that thanks these activities the name and work of the President of Germany are well known in Armenia. President Sargsyan said that it was no accident that the entire Armenian nation accepted with gratitude the statement made by President Gauck at the Ecumenical lithurgy at the Berlin Cathedral in April dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. He added that the fact is of the utmost importance for the Armenian people. President Sargsyan noted that he was glad to meet with the person who found the right word to characterize the Armenian Genocide. The President of Armenia stressed the importance of recognition by the German Bundestag of the Armenian Genocide, which according to the President, will wrap up the entire process of recognition of the Genocide by Germany.
Serzh Sargsyan informed the President of Germany about his meetings with the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert and Chancellor Angela Merkel and noted with satisfaction that he was impressed with the discussions which were aimed at the further deepening of the dynamically developing Armenian-German relations.
The President of Armenia underlined that the enhancement of the relations with the FRG is a priority direction of our foreign policy. Serzh Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that among the EU states, Germany is Armenia’s number one trade partner. The interlocutors concurred that that there is great potential for deepening cooperation of the two states in the economic area which can also be promoted through the unfolding decentralized cooperation.
With regard to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Joachim Gauck spoke in detail about the situation at the line of contact. The parties underscored that the conflict must be resolved through the exclusively peaceful means, through the negotiations conducted with the support of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.
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In the framework of his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, President Serzh Sargsyan in the evening of April 6 left Berlin for the capital of Brandenburg Potsdam.
At the government building of Brandenburg, the President of Armenia met with the Minister President of Brandenburg Dietmar Woidke.
Noting that Brandenburg is the most rapidly developing area in Germany, Serzg Sarsgyan with this regard stressed the importance of the input made by the municipal authorities. “I hope that our dialogue will be of a continuous nature and your valuable experience and knowledge will also serve the cooperation between Armenia and Brandenburg, including the expansion of the decentralized ties,” said President Serzh Sargsyan at the meeting with Dietmar Woidke.
The parties stressed the importance of cooperation in the economic area, enhancement of contacts between the business communities and in this context the attraction of German investments to the Armenian market. They also spoke about the comprehensive reforms conducted in Armenia. Minister President Woidke stressed the importance and welcomed the reforms which, in his words, are aimed into future and are the most reliable avenue for development.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President of Armenia and Minister President of Brandenburg were present at the ceremony of signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and Brandenburg in the area of culture. The document was signed by the RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghossian and the Minster of Science, Research and Culture of Brandenburg Martina Munch. The President of Armenia visited also the home-research center of Johannes Lepsius. Accompanied by the Scientific Director of the center Rolph Hosfeld, Serzh Sargsyan toured the premise of the institution, visited the office of Lepsius where he was shown his hand-written documents kept in secret archives. At the conclusion of the tour, President Sargsyan made an inscription in the Book of Honorary Guests. “As President of the Republic of Armenia and as an Armenian, I am writing down these words with the deepest appreciation. Only a great humanist and a person totally devoted to justice could feel so profoundly the pain of another nation. It is also thanks to the pen of Johannes Lepsius that today, more than one hundred years later, the truth is still alive and the time is powerless to cover the black pages of the human history. Today Armenia stands tall together with the Armenian nation – just the way he dreamt.”
On April 6, In Germany President Sargsyan also gave an interview to the German ARD Public TV.
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On April 7, concluding his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, President Serzh Sargsyan before returning to Armenia met with the Executive Director of Germany’s Easter Economic Commission Michael Harms and leaders of the German business community.
The President of Armenia presented to the participants of the meeting process and prospects of Armenia’s economic development, priority areas of the Armenian economy, Armenia’s competitive advantages vis-à-vis other countries of the region, the investment and business climate, continuous reforms carried out in the country, the bilateral and multilateral legal field, which guarantees the inviolability of foreign investments in Armenia, activities of the German companies functioning in the Armenian market and possibilities for the development of the Armenian-German economic cooperation.
Representatives of the German business community asked the President of Armenia about the opportunities for cooperation and existing tendencies in the areas of mining, information technologies, financial and banking services, road construction, alternative energy, tourism, hotel business, and a number of other areas.
The President of Armenia responded to these and other numerous questions of the participants of the meeting.
In Berlin, President Serzh Sargsyan also gave an interview to the Deutsche Welle TV Company.