YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenia attaches great importance to friendship and cooperation with neighboring Georgia, ARMENPRESS reports President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian said in a statement following meeting with Georgian Presidnt Salome Zourabichvili, amphasizing that the Armenian-Georgian relations date back centuries ago.

''I can confidently say that strengthening relations with Georgia is one of the key preconditions for security and development for both our countries and the entire region'', Sarkissian said.

He said that a wide range of issues were discussed with the Georgian counterpart, touching upon transport, energy, tourism, agriculture, education and culture, and other spheres. According to the Armenian President, there is a great potential for cooperation in the fields of modern technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, cyber security, food security.

‘’We also referred to regional security and stability issues, considering the new realities caused by the Azerbaijani aggression against Karabakh actively and openly supported by Turkey. I presented the approaches and positions of the Armenian side on NK issue to my Georgian counterpart. I specially emphasized the fact that it’s impossible to establish lasting peace and ensure stability in the region without a fair solution to Artsakh issue. I also referred to the opportunities and the necessity for restoring the peace process in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs. I emphasized the huge humanitarian problems caused by the war’’, President Sarkissian said, focusing on the issue of returning of POWs, hostages and other detainees kept in Azerbaijan.

Armen Sarkissian emphasized that it’s inadmissible to speculate over the post-war situation by Azerbaijan and leading a policy of violating national dignity. ‘’This policy cannot foster the establishment of an atmosphere for dialogue’’, Sarkissian said, expressing concerns also over the preservation of the Armenian historical-cultural heritage that have appeared under Azerbaijani control as a result of the war.

At the end of the speech President Sarkissian thanked Salome Zourabichvili for the warm reception, hoping to see her in Armenia in the near future.