site.btaArmenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian Pays Official Visit to Bulgaria

Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian Pays Official Visit to Bulgaria

Sofia, January 15 (BTA) - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is paying an official visit here at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart Daniel Mitov, conferred on Friday with President Rosen Plevneliev, Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva and Foreign Minister Mitov.

Bulgaria is ready to be Armenia's partner in deepening her relations with the European Union, President Rosen Plevneliev said on Friday during his meeting with Minister Edward Nalbandian, Plevneliev's Press Secretariat reported.

"We encourage Armenia's process of cooperation with the EU and hope that the negotiations of the framework agreement with the EU will conclude successfully," Plevneliev said. "We are working for a strong Europe, in which borders are lifted and not moved," the Bulgarian President added.

Plevneliev and Nalbandian outlined the perspectives for deepening bilateral relations. The well integrated Armenian diaspora in Bulgaria and the cultural similarities between the two peoples were noted as a prerequisite for broadening bilateral cooperation. Bilateral trade for the period between January and September of 2015 stood at close to 20 million US dollars, which is much less than the possibilities for trade and economic cooperation, President Plevneliev said. The two have listed the ICT sector, agriculture, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing as areas that have potential for deepening cooperation.

Minister Nalbandian thanked for Bulgaria's readiness to offer assistance for deepening Armenian-EU relations, as well as this country's balanced position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Plevneliev voiced his belief that conflicts must be resolved peacefully, through dialogue and negotiations. "I believe that peace depends on the rule of law and the observation of rules and international agreements by all sides. The use of weapons is just proof of a lack of arguments, what is needed is dialogue," the Bulgarian Head of State is quoted as saying.

Minister Nalbandian also conferred with Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva. The two discussed opportunities for deepening relations between the two countries' parliaments, the National Assembly's Press Centre reported. 

Tsacheva noted the existence of traditionally good relations between the Bulgarian and Armenian people, the cultural and historical ties and closeness. She said that this constitutes a huge potential for developing bilateral cooperation in various fields, while the two countries' politicians should contribute to its utilization. Tsacheva has renewed an invitation to her Armenian counterpart for a visit to this country by this year's end.

Minister Nalbandian underscored the importance of developing interparliamentary contacts, because they would help activate bilateral relations.

Among the topics discussed during the meeting were also the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the mass extermination of the Armenian people in the Ottoman Empire, cooperation between representatives of the two countries in different international organizations, the resolving of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through peace negotiations.

Minister Edward Nalbandian conferred with members of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group in Parliament.

The topics that dominated the meeting between foreign ministers Daniel Mitov and Edward Nalbandian were the activation political dialogue, the development of cooperation in tourism and taking advantage of the opportunities in transport infrastructure.

Armenia is an important international partner for Bulgaria, Mitov noted during the news conference after their meeting, during which the two also confirmed the two countries' readiness to deepen the traditionally good and friendly relations.

Mitov noted that Bulgaria and the Armenian people are connected by more than the traditional friendship, which they have been enjoying for many years. He recalled that the Armenians have contributed to the development of crafts in Bulgaria, while some of the first Bulgarian officers following this country's liberation from Ottoman rule were of Armenian descent.

Minister Mitov noted that Bulgaria continues to encourage the process of reinforcing the democratic institutions and the state committed to the rule of law in Armenia, adding that this country is ready to render assistance for the successful implementation of the necessary reforms and share its experience.

Nalbandian noted that the two have discussed the development of transport links, adding that some of the topics discussed during his earlier meetings were related to economic cooperation, information technologies, agriculture, health care, transport, energy and culture.

Asked about the New Silk Road, the Armenian Minister said that his country views the Chinese initiative very positively and is working very closely with its Chinese partners. Mitov noted that the will and desire to implement this transport corridor was confirmed during Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's and the Bulgarian delegation's visit to China.

Answering a question about the refugee crisis, Daniel Mitov once again recalled his position that an exceptionally serious control is needed on the EU's external borders.