Armenia and the Middle East – Foreign Ministry’s 2023 Year in Review

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Middle East has a special place in the foreign policy agenda of Armenia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a social media post about Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s 2023 trips to the region.

“The Middle East has a special place in the foreign policy agenda of Armenia. In this context, 2023 was marked by several important developments. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan visited Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.

"For the first time since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the Foreign Minister of Armenia participated in the Arab League Council’s foreign ministerial meeting.

"Minister Mirzoyan’s visit to Syria, particularly to Damascus and Aleppo, took place after the devastating earthquake on February 6, and during the visit the minister conveyed the humanitarian aid provided by the Armenian government.

"Among other international treaties, Armenia signed a mutual visa waiver with the UAE in 2023, which will take effect in February 2024. In multilateral platforms, Minister Mirzoyan held meetings with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, and the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Diplomatic relations were established between Armenia and Saudi Arabia in 2023. Political consultations were held on the level of foreign ministers of Oman and Tunisia, co-chaired by Armenian Deputy FM Vahan Kostanyan,” the foreign ministry said.