YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s caretaker foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan held a meeting on December 6 with Malta’s minister for foreign affairs and trade promotion Carmelo Abela in Milan, Italy. The meeting took place within the framework of the 25th foreign ministerial council of OSCE member states, the foreign ministry said.

Mnatsakanyan and Abela exchanged ideas over prospects of expanding the bilateral cooperation agenda and in this context attached importance to enhancing the legal framework, organizing consultations between the foreign ministries and boosting inter-parliamentary ties.

The ministers attached importance to mutually-beneficial cooperation in regional and international organizations, pointing out the La Francophonie as a valuable platform.

The Armenian caretaker FM presented the priorities of the country’s chairmanship in the organization.

The FMs also touched upon the Armenia-European Union partnership. Mnatsakanyan noted that the CEPA is an important tool to develop cooperation based on common values with the EU and EU member states, as well as to boost the ongoing reforms in Armenia.

Mnatsakanyan also briefed Abela on Armenia’s stance and approach in the direction of the NK conflict settlement, stressing that the main beneficiary of the settlement are the people, while ensuring vital security is the key of the conflict.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan