YEREVAN, MARCH 3, ARMENPRESS. The future development of relations with Georgia is among Armenia’s most important foreign policy priorities, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters in Tbilisi after the meeting with Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia.

“I am more than convinced that all preconditions exist for that. Undoubtedly, the centuries-old friendship, that is based on common values and historical heritage, creates a firm base for our cooperation”, the Armenian PM said.

Pashinyan said today new tools came which make the Armenian-Georgian friendship inseparable and further strengthen the cooperation aspiration. “That is first of all the common vision of our peoples to build a future based on democratic values, which is irreversible and acquired a power of belief. The victory of democracy and the establishment of the rule of law opened new horizons for expanding the cooperation between our countries in various areas”, he said.

The Armenian PM said the talks with his Georgian counterpart enabled to continue the discussions which launched in Yerevan last October.

“Let’s touch upon the necessity of consistent implementation of prospective projects in transportation, energy and other areas. We emphasized the importance of developing the transit potential of the two countries. The talk is not only about the land routes, but also the energy and telecommunication sector. We presented several cooperation proposals relating to IT, education and science. We also attached importance to strengthening the ties between the youth. We proposed to take steps to strengthen the ties between the civil society organizations of the two countries”, Pashinyan said.

The Armenian PM informed that they also discussed the regional security and peace. “It’s without doubt that the Armenian-Georgia cooperation is one of the most important guarantees for ensuring stability in our region. As for the regional issues, I want to express confidence that the only way to solve them are peaceful talks which do not have an alternative. I am also sure that each conflict has its peculiarities. In this sense I attach strong importance to the maintenance of balanced positions on issues sensitive to each other”, Pashinyan noted.

He also highlighted the great role of the Georgian-Armenian community in the bilateral relations. “We are grateful to the consistent actions of the Georgian authorities aimed at preserving the national identity, cultural and spiritual heritage of Georgian-Armenians”, the Armenian PM said.

Summing up his remarks PM Pashinyan highlighted the necessity of holding regular high-level talks.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan