On January 20, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian  met with Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro.

Welcoming Foreign Minister of Armenia, President of Montenegro attached significant importance to the first high-level official visit from Armenia to Podgorica, expressing confidence that the agreements reached during the visit would advance the bilateral cooperation in different areas. “I have had number of meetings with Serzh Sargsyan, President of friendly Armenia on the sidelines of international conferences and I hope this visit will result in the further activation of mutual visits and cooperation.”

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Edward Nalbandian conveyed to the President of Montenegro the greetings of the President of Armenia and the invitation to visit Yerevan.

During the meeting, the sides stressed that traditional friendship between the peoples of Armenia and Montenegro creates solid basis for the development of relations and the use of their entire potential.

Ways on organization of high-level visits, intensification of trade and economic ties, holding of business forums, development of decentralized cooperation were discussed. In this regard, the interlocutors attached importance to the revision of Cooperation Agreement signed back in 1978 and establishment of ties between administrative units of the two states.

Negotiations between Edward Nalbandian and Igor Lukšić, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro took place in Podgorica.

Tête-à-tête negotiations were followed by talks in the extended format.

Welcoming the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the Foreign Minister of Montenegro considered quite symbolic the fact that Foreign Minister of friendly Armenia is the first foreign minister to pay official visit to Podgorica in 2016, and expressed confidence that the visit would give new impetus to bilateral relations.

Thanking Igor Lukšić for the invitation to visit the country and the reception, Minister Nalbandian said, “Your visit to Armenia in 2013 established basis for continuous political dialogue between two friendly countries. I am glad to be in Podgorica now, paying first official visit from Armenia to Montenegro.”

During the talks, the interlocutors discussed a number of issues on bilateral agenda, attached importance to the organization of high-level visits, expansion of the legal framework, promotion of trade and economic ties, visa facilitation, activation of people-to-people contacts, development of cooperation in the areas of education, science, culture, tourism, high technologies.

In the context of decentralized cooperation, the two touched upon the necessity of revision of Cooperation Agreement between the two capitals.

Issues on holding regular consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of two states, developing cooperation within international organizations, promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation were discussed.

Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro presented priorities of his country’s foreign policy, ongoing processes in the Balkan Peninsula and his country’s stance on them.
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Montenegro exchanged thoughts on pressing regional and international issues, particularly, implementation of agreements reached over Iran nuclear program, developments in the Middle East, the fight against terrorism.

Foreign Minister of Armenia presented to his colleague the efforts of Armenia and OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

The meeting of the Ministers was followed by a press conference.

Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro hosted an official dinner in the honour of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.

On the same day Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Ranko Krivokapić, President of the Parliament of Montenegro.

During the meeting views were exchanged on the development of cooperation between two states, promotion of collaboration between legislative bodies, importance was attached to the establishment of Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

The Minister touched upon the tightening of cooperation within parliamentary formats of international organizations was outlined.

Foreign Minister of Armenia presented to the President of the Parliament of Montenegro events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide held across the globe and their message.

Minister Nalbandian presented to Ranko Krivokapić recent developments in the negotiation process on exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue within the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.