The newly appointed Ambassador of Austria Thomas Mühlmann presented his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Austria to Armenia Thomas Mühlmann (residence in Tbilisi) presented his credentials to President Vahagn Khachaturyan.

Congratulating the newly appointed Ambassador on assuming the office, President Khachaturyan wished him success and fruitful work during his diplomatic service.

In his speech, the President noted. “Austria is one of the countries that has been represented in our country for a long time. We appreciate the support that Austria has given us since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries and especially in recent years. I am sure that your work and diplomatic experience will contribute to the development of Armenian-Austrian cooperation.”

Expressing his gratitude for the reception, the newly appointed Ambassador stressed that he will put all his efforts into the process of further activating the multi-layered cooperation between Armenia and Austria. “I feel very honored to be here today and we will do whatever we can do to improve our relations,” noted Ambassador Mühlmann.

During the meeting, President Khachaturyan shared details regarding regional realities, the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the approaches of Armenia towards its relations with neighbors. Vahagn Khachaturyan stressed that Azerbaijan's obstruction of the normal operation of the humanitarian corridor, and interruptions in the supply of gas and electricity pose a threat of a humanitarian catastrophe for the 120,000 population of Nagorno Karabakh. In regard to this, the President noted that such actions of Azerbaijan, as well as encroachments on the sovereign territory of Armenia, have a negative impact on the process of establishing lasting peace in the region.

Touching upon the situation on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the President attached importance to the role of the EU civilian observation mission from the viewpoint of abating tension and increasing border security.

The sides also touched upon the opportunities of promoting cooperation between Armenia and Austria in political, trade-economic, high-tech and other fields. In this respect, Ambassador Mühlmann said that the Austrian Development Agency plans to open an office in Kapan this year, following the example of Gyumri and Vanadzor.