On 15 May, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Ayvazyan met with Deputy Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government Qubad Talabani.

The Ministry of Foreign informed Affairs informs.

Welcoming Deputy Prime Minister Talabani and the delegation headed by him, Acting Minister Ayvazyan noted that although the visit takes place in a difficult period for Armenia, it is symbolic from the point of view of strengthening the Armenian-Kurdish relations intertwined with strong historical ties.

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia underlined with satisfaction the positive dynamics of the recent development of relations with the Republic of Iraq. Ara Ayvazyan reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to deepen and expand the mutually beneficial multi-sectoral cooperation with the Iraqi Kurdistan Autonomy, emphasizing in this context the close ties established between the RA Consulate General in Erbil and the local authorities. Reference was made to the implementation of the agreements reached on cooperation in the fields of high technologies, creative education and tourism, which are promising directions.

Both sides praised the contribution of the Armenian community of Iraqi Kurdistan in the political, social and cultural life of the autonomy, as well as in further strengthening the friendship between the two peoples.

Urgent regional and international issues were also discussed during the meeting. The protection of the rights and historical and cultural heritage of national and religious minorities in the Middle East was especially emphasized. In this regard, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia highly assessed the cooperation between the Matenadaran after Mesrop Mashtots in Yerevan and the Assyrian Heritage Museum in Erbil on the modernization and restoration of manuscripts.

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia presented to the members of the delegation the situation created in the border regions of the Republic of Armenia as a result of provocative actions by Azerbaijan.