Georgian, Armenian PMs talk close partnership, joint prospects in Yerevan

Agenda, Georgia
                                               

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili is on official visit to Yerevan, with the head of the government and his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan discussing ties in fields including energy and economy as well as prospects for further cooperation between the countries.

Also involving Georgia's foreign minister David Zalkaliani as part of the government delegation, the visit on Wednesday included a press briefing where both PMs made statements on plans to deepen collaboration in trade, logistics and cultural relations.

In his statement Garibashvili said the meetings between the high-ranking officials discussed "how to develop additionally our trade and economic relations, our cultural relations [and] cooperation in fields such as transportation and logistics."

Deepening mutual ties in the subjects would "bring us even closer in the regional prism", the Georgian PM added, while Pashinyan spoke of a "vital role" of "special" relations with Georgia in Armenia's foreign relations.

The head of the host government said the meeting with his counterpart from Tbilisi had talked "more efficient use of regional transport and communications [infrastructure]", adding the two sides had stressed the importance of "development of transit potential."

Experiences in the two countries' struggle against the Covid pandemic were also shared between the Georgian government delegation and Pashinyan's team in Yerevan, in addition to questions of regional stability and the need of resolving the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone through OSCE channels.

As part of the formal government visit, Georgia's foreign minister Zalkaliani also met his Armenian colleague Ara Aivazian to share ideas on deepening "dynamic" economic cooperation. The Georgian FM also reiterated Georgia's readiness to serve as a platform for dialogue between parties in conflict across the region during the meeting.