President Vahagn Khachaturyan had a farewell meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Armenia Alison Mary LeClaire

President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Armenia Alison Mary LeClaire (residence: Moscow) in connection with completing the diplomatic mission.

Welcoming the guest, the President noted, "I would like to express my gratitude for your work in developing Armenian-Canadian relations. Canada was one of the states that swiftly recognized the independence of the Republic of Armenia. It was back in January 1992. Since then, our relations have developed dynamically, and during recent years, our cooperation has intensified. We have not forgotten Canada's support to Armenia, especially after the 44-day war in 2020 that was provided at political and other levels. Now, following that development, Canada will open an Embassy here in October. I am convinced that it will be a new impetus for developing our relations."

Expressing her gratitude for the reception, the Ambassador noted, "It was indeed a privilege to represent Canada in Armenia. I would like to take this opportunity to thank your team and all the officials. Our cooperation has been constructive, positive, and forward-looking even though Armenia faced some very difficult times during my assignment here and continues to face difficult times. During that difficult period, there was also an opportunity to make a contribution to the tremendous development of Armenia-Canada relations.

There is an attentive and mobilized Diaspora community in Canada. While it is sad for me to leave, it is a very good feeling knowing that I leave it with a new Embassy on the ground and a new Ambassador who I know will do very good work. I am leaving a platform that will contribute to the development of our relations, particularly in the commerce and economic area. We know there has been a lot of growth in this area, but there is much more to do as well."

During the meeting, the sides discussed the steps to develop further Armenian-Canadian relations and the pathways to exercise the existing potential. Both sides highlighted the importance of opening the Canadian Embassy in Armenia in October, which will be an additional impetus for the intensification of cooperation between the two countries.

During the discussion, the interlocutors touched upon the current security challenges and overall developments in the South Caucasus region. In this regard, President Khachaturyan underscored that Armenia is firm in its position to establish sustainable and durable peace in the region and address the existing issues exclusively through political mechanisms and negotiations.