YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. From 13 till 18 September, students and staff of the Diplomatic School of Armenia, led by the Director, Ambassador Vahe Gabrielyan, visited Brussels and Vienna. The study visit to the headquarters of the European Union (EU), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), to NATO and to the United Nations is an important complement to the courses and modules offered in the ten-month Programme in Diplomacy and International Relations offered by the Diplomatic School.

“Armenpress” was informed by the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia that from 14 till 16 September the students visited the main institutions of the EU, the European Commission, the Council, the European External Action Service and the European Parliament. The briefings and the questions and answers sessions provided the students with an insider's perspective on the decision making processes in the EU.

In Brussels students also visited NATO headquarters where they were briefed by officials about NATO-Armenia relations, NATO's public diplomacy and the organisation's perspective on current security challenges. The students met with Armenia's Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Armen Yedigaryan.

In Belgium, students also visited the long-time partner of the Diplomatic School, the College of Europe (Bruges). There, along with the staff of the College of Europe, the met Armenian students from Armenia and other countries who had recently enrolled in the institution’s programmes.

In Vienna students visited the OSCE for presentations on the organisation's overall activities and particularly on its engagements in the South Caucasus. The study tour ended with a day on the site of the UN in Vienna and presentations about the workings of the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

The trip included visits to the Embassies of the Republic of Armenia in Brussels and Vienna, where the students were hosted by the Heads of Mission, Ambassadors Tatul Margaryan and Arman Kirakosyan.

In Vienna, the students also visited the Mekhitarist Congregation, one of the most prominent Armenian cultural centres and got acquainted with its activities and its rich heritage.

The study trip to the EU and International Organisations was funded by the European Union in the framework of its continued Capacity and Institution Building support to the Diplomatic School. It was co-organised with a consortium comprising the College of Europe and B&S Europe.