Armenia is interested in imparting a new quality to the Armenian-Italian cooperation. President Armen Sarkissian met with Mario Draghi, the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy

The official welcoming ceremony of the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, who is in Italy on a state visit, took place today at the residence of the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy Mario Draghi, followed by a meeting between Armen Sarkissian and Mario Draghi.

President Sarkissian noted that Armenia attaches great importance to deepening relations with friendly Italy in all directions. He stressed that since Armenia's independence, interstate relations have developed in the spirit of partnership and mutual trust, based on the close historical ties between the two peoples and the system of Christian values.

Noting that Armenia and Italy currently have significant cooperation in economic, inter-parliamentary, decentralized, humanitarian spheres, President Sarkissian stressed that Armenia is interested in imparting a new quality to bilateral cooperation, especially since the potential of the two countries provides such an opportunity.

The President of Armenia and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Italy discussed a wide range of issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Italian political dialogue and commercial-economic cooperation. Considering the latter one of the most important components of the cooperation, the interlocutors noted that in the conditions of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the trade turnover between Armenia and Italy had slightly decreased; despite this, in the first half of 2021, it registered some growth.

President Sarkissian thanked Prime Minister Draghi and the Italian Government for providing a significant amount of vaccine to Armenia as part of its humanitarian assistance.

Reference was made to the Armenia-EU partnership, in that context the role of Italy as the founder and leading country of the EU. The role of the European Union in supporting the development of our country was emphasized. President Sarkissian stressed that after the painful losses in the Artsakh war, Armenia can focus on areas that ensure the country's future development, such as strengthening democratic institutions, establishing a balanced system of government, and making full use of the Diaspora's potential for the country's development.

The President also singled out the spheres of human capital, high technologies, artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the creation of an effective educational system and scientific and technological progress will be of great importance for the future of Armenia. In this context, he presented the possible directions of joint projects with Italian companies within the framework of the Presidential ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow) Initiative.

The meeting also touched upon the situation in Armenia and the region after the 44-day war, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. President Sarkissian noted that Armenia attaches importance to the balanced position of Italy on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, stressed the significance of the work on the peaceful settlement of the issue within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. President Sarkissian considered the readiness of the Italian side after the establishment of the ceasefire to support the preservation of the Armenian historical and cultural heritage by sending a mission of specialists, including cooperation with UNESCO.

They also spoke about the development of trade and economic relations, the opportunities for attracting Italian investments. President Sarkissian noted that Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the entry into force of the Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement with the EU, provide new opportunities to develop cooperation between Armenia and Italy in various fields. The Italian side offered to organize Armenian days in Italy to present Armenian products and economic opportunities and to promote business contacts.

It was noted that having a rich cultural heritage, being the bearers of ancient civilization, Armenia and Italy have actively cooperated in this field, especially in the field of preservation and restoration of cultural heritage. In particular, the activities of the Regional Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation, Management and Evaluation (ROCEMP) were singled out.

Touching upon the cooperation in the field of education, President Sarkissian stressed the need for the continuous activity of the chairs of Armenian Studies in Italian universities, which will contribute to the development of Armenian Studies in Italy. He welcomed the reopening of the Chair of Armenian Studies at La Sapienza University in Rome through bilateral efforts.