Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan discussed bilateral relations and regional cooperation with Georgian leaders during his official visit to Tbilisi on February 23-24.
Armenian-Georgian relations are “very impressive,” but prospects are “equally promising,” the Armenian PM said before meeting with his Georgian counterpart, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, in Tbilisi on February 23.
“For Georgia, Armenia is a country with which we share centuries-old good-neighborly traditions and strong people-to-people links,” PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili told the press on February at a joint press briefing following the high-level talks with his Armenian counterpart, Karen Karapetyan.
#Armenia PM Karen #Karapetyan visits #Georgia.Our countries enjoy centuries-old good neighborly and friendly relations pic.twitter.com/rnj5EHy7av
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) February 23, 2017
In the words of Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the Armenian Prime Minister had “interesting suggestions on tapping the common market potential in various sectors.”
“We expressed readiness to work actively in this area and encourage the private sector representatives from both countries to fully employ the potential of regional cooperation,” PM Kvirikashvili said.
Armenian PM said that he had a “warm” meeting with his Georgian counterpart.
PM Karapetyan stated that the two countries “entered a new stage” in bilateral cooperation. “Armenian-Georgian cooperation continues to develop in an environment of mutual trust, which is crucial for further strengthening of our relationship,” he said.
PMs #Karapetyan & #Kvirikashvili discussed #Armenia-#Georgia agenda, prospects for development. Documents signed https://t.co/PNIC1giei1 pic.twitter.com/mbAGzvNhcd
— MFA of Armenia (@MFAofArmenia) February 23, 2017
“Our delegation is ready to discuss issues of bilateral economic cooperation, as well as regional development, and we will try to find new ways of bolstering cooperation,” Karen Karapetyan added.
“We would like Georgians to view Armenia as a country that is worth investing in and visiting as a tourist,” he also explained.
Following the meeting with his Georgian counterpart, the head of the Armenian Government met with President Giorgi Margvelashvili.
“[The sides] underlined the prospects of cooperation between the countries, especially with respect to economy,” the President’s office reported in its press release of the meeting.
“Discussion was also focused on the current situation in the occupied territories of Georgia, regional challenges and the security issues,” the statement also said.
According to the Armenian Government’s press office, at the meeting with President Margvelashvili, PM Karapetyan emphasized that the two countries “can implement projects of regional importance.”
“The Armenian side is ready to offer Georgian businessmen various platforms for better access to other markets,” Karapetyan said referring to the establishment of a free economic zone in Meghri on the border with Iran.
According to the same statement, the Prime Minister also expressed gratitude for “favorable treatment” of the Armenian community in Georgia, as well as for “the preservation of historical and cultural values.”
On February 24, the head of Armenian Government visited Georgia’s Patriarch Ilia II, who recently returned from Germany, where he underwent medical treatment.