On March 13 Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian participated in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European People’s Party (EPP) initiated by Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz.

Attending the meeting were Foreign Ministers of twelve countries, EPP President Joseph Dole, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Elmar Brok, Commissioner Johannes Hahn, other high-ranking officials.

Issues on the agenda included fight against terrorism and radicalism and migration.  Discussions focused on issues existing in the Western Balkans and the South Caucasus and the ways of their resolution. Reference was made to cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

Speaking about the flow of migrants, Minister Nalbandian said: “Armenia has provided refuge to about 20 thousand Syrian refugees, being the third European country with the number of migrants hosted per capita.”

The Armenian Foreign Minister stressed that “when seeking solution to migration issues, it’s first of all necessary to refer to their causes.” Minister Nalbandian attached importance to the joint fight against migration and the political process of settlement of the Syrian crisis.

Edward Nalbandian referred to the relations between Armenia and the European Union, emphasized the talks on a new legal framework, noting that the new agreement would reflect the depth of cooperation and the achievements.

The Armenian Foreign Minister briefed his counterparts on the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group towards the resolution of the Karabakh issue and stressed that there’s no alternative to a peaceful settlement.