Author: Vicken Chmshkian

ArmInfo.Armenia fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. This was stated by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in an interview to the  Greek "Kathimerini" newspaper , referring to the position of the  Republic of Armenia on the most sensitive issues for Greece at the  moment, such as the ever-growing tension on the Greek-Turkish border  and the Cyprus issue. The press service of the RA MFA reports.

"Armenia considers unacceptable any actions and steps that can  grossly violate the norms of International law, the Law of the Sea,  as well as the UN Charter;" the head of the foreign policy department  noted.

"As for the Cyprus issue, as in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, in this  case, too, any attempt to present the consequences of the use of  force as a solution is unacceptable to us. Armenia and Cyprus always  mutually supported each other on bilateral and multilateral  platforms," the Minister pointed out.

Referring to the rounds of "Armenia, Greece and Cyprus" trilateral  talks and the development of relations in the future, Ararat Mirzoyan  noted: "Armenia attaches great importance to the trilateral format of  cooperation. By now we have successfully conducted several Trilateral  Ministerial meetings. We are looking forward to hosting the Summit of  the format on the level of the leaders of our three countries.

Our nations have rich experience of collaboration and mutual support  and we believe that our states have huge potential to promote  stability, security, and peace in the region, through enhanced  political dialogue and cooperation of Armenia, Greece, and Cyprus. We  also acknowledge the importance and efficiency of trilateral  cooperation in defense, diaspora, parliamentary ties, emergency  situations, IT, healthcare, investments, tourism, education, and  culture. I am confident that the format is destined to succeed," he  stated.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs points out: "Greece is one of  Armenia's most important partners in Europe and in the world. The  relations between Armenia and Greece are underpinned by millennia-old  shared history and values, friendship, and solidarity between our two  peoples. Throughout the centuries, Armenians and Greeks peacefully  lived next to each other, collaborated to create value and  prosperity, and fought together against external oppressors. In this  context, I want to stress that we will never forget the wholehearted  support the Greek people and the government provided during very  tough times in our nation's history, the most recent example being  the war of 2020."

The Minister recalled that this year Yerevan and Athens are  celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic  relations between the republics. "Over these three decades, more  than 40 documents have been signed between the two countries and  we've developed robust interstate relations and a solid bilateral  agenda ranging from active political dialogue to partnership in  different areas, including defense, economy, education, culture, and  many other fields, as well as mutually beneficial collaboration on  multilateral platforms. During my recent working visit to Greece, I  held very productive talks with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou  and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as in-depth  discussions with my colleague and good friend Minister Nikos Dendias.  We've made progress and reached a common understanding on a number of  important issues and will continue to work to deepen our relations  further.  Also, I believe that we should mull over raising  Armenia-Greece cooperation to a significantly higher level, which  could be proper for strategic partners. I am confident we should work  in this direction in the near future,"he concluded.  

ArmInfo.The trend of sustainable development of the Armenian- Iranian multi-sectoral  cooperation, and in this context the importance of bilateral economic  cooperation and the need for its development, were mutually  emphasized at the meeting of Secretary of the Security Council of the  Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan and Secretary of the Supreme  National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani  on July 7.

According to the press service of the RA Security Council, in the  context of the Armenian-Iranian economic relations and especially the  development of Syunik, the emphasis was placed on the role of the  Iranian port of Chabahar. The interlocutors highly appreciated the  readiness of the parties to continue cooperation within the framework  of the Meghri Free Economic Zone and the North-South International  Transport Corridor.

Grigoryan spoke about the course of the settlement of the  Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, emphasizing that not a single issue  in the corridor logic is discussed within this process.

In turn, Ali Shamkhani  noted that in the context of the  abovementioned, the principles of the territorial integrity of states  and the inviolability of borders should be observed.

Grigoryan also presented Armenia's approaches to ensuring regional  security and deblockade. In this vein, the Secretary of the Iranian  Security Council stressed Tehran's readiness to assist in ensuring  security in the South Caucasus.

The parties agreed to meet at the Armenian-Iranian border to continue  the dialogue. 

ArmInfo. The Embassy of France in Armenia and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia launch the "Armenia. Exploring, preserving  and enhancing heritage" project , which is funded by the Solidarity  Fund for Innovative Projects (FSPI) of the French Ministry for Europe  and Foreign Affairs. The program notes France's commitment to  supporting the preservation, restoration and appreciation of  Armenia's cultural heritage, the French Embassy in Armenia said in a  statement.

The project, worth 600,000 euros, is planned to be implemented in  2022. Within the framework of the program, it is planned to carry out  activities aimed at supporting the preservation of the cultural  heritage of Armenia, developing the potential of specialists in this  field, as well as implementing and developing museum policy.

The project was developed and implemented in cooperation with the  Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of  Armenia, the National Heritage Institute of France, the Louvre  Museum, the Scientific Research Centre for Historical and Cultural  Heritage and the Erebuni Museum. The three-pronged project covers  various areas of cultural heritage and draws on the skills and best  practices of the French and Armenian partners. As part of the first  component, it is planned to strengthen and develop the skills of  specialists in the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage  through continuing education courses. It is implemented by the  National Heritage Institute in cooperation with the Scientific  Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage.

The second component relates to the restoration of the Tatev  monastery complex. At the first stage of the project, it is planned  to conduct a historical and architectural study of the monument, and  also, before the actual restoration of the building, organize the  first volunteer labor camp together with "Rempart" and the "Terre et  Culture" association (<Land and Culture>). It is also implemented by  the National Heritage Institute in cooperation with the Scientific  Research Centre for Historical and Cultural Heritage. The third  component is dedicated to the reorganization and modernization of the  permanent exhibition of the Erebuni Museum and is aimed at assessing  the collections. It will be implemented jointly with the Louvre.