Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in the Kingdom of the Netherlands on May 10 on a 2-day official visit.

Royal Commissioner for Drenthe, Jetta Klijnsma, the Mayor of Assen Marco Out, Tynaarlo Mayor Marcel Thijsen, and Chief of Protocol at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dominique Kuhling met the Prime Minister at the Groningen International Airport.

On May 10, Prime Minister Pashinyan will attend the official opening ceremony of "Under the Spell of Mount Ararat. Treasures from Ancient Armenia" exhibition in Drents Museum.

Within the framework of the visit, Prime Minister Pashinyan will have meetings with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, the President of the Senate of the Netherlands Jan Anthonie Bruijn and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Vera Bergkamp. Nikol Pashinyan will meet with members of the foreign relations committees of both Houses of parliament. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Dutch business community.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan started his official visit to the Netherlands from the Boskamp Cemetery in Assen, where he laid a wreath at the khachkar dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. The members of the Armenian governmental delegation, Mayor of Assen Marco Out also laid flowers. The khachkar-monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide was erected in Assen in 2001.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Pashinyan attended the official opening ceremony of "Under the Spell of Mount Ararat. Treasures from Ancient Armenia" exhibition in Drents Museum in Assen. The opening ceremony of the exhibition took place at Joseph Church, with the participation of the Abovian Cultural Association of the Netherlands. The Director of the Drents Museum, Harry Tupan, made a speech. According to him, the exhibition was scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to the coronavirus.

In his speech, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said,

“Dear Mrs. King’s Commissioner in Drenthe,
Dear Mr. King’s Commissioner in Groningen,
Dear Mayors,
Dear Mr. Tupan,
Dear compatriots,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad that we are finally launching this remarkable exhibition “Under the spell of Mount Ararat: Treasures of Ancient Armenia”, being held in the symbolic year of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

This event was planned to take place 2 years ago, and was twice postponed, due to COVID-19. We are finally here, presenting a new layer of Armenia’s culture and history to the Dutch and European public.

This year Armenian culture is being presented in the Netherlands in an unprecedented manner. The exhibition of the relic and valuable objects from the History Museum of Armenia and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will shed new light on the Armenian cultural heritage deriving from the depths of history.

The exhibition once again demonstrates and reminds the warm and historically friendly relations that exist between the people of Armenia and the Netherlands. Committed to common values and national identities, our peoples have always been open and deeply interested in interpenetrating cultures.

The first mention of the Armenia-Netherlands interactions dates back to the IV century. In the XVII and XVIII centuries, Amsterdam was one of the prominent centers of Armenian printing where Matheos Tsaretsi, Armenian cleric and publisher established a printing house in 1660. In 1666 Voskan Yerevantsi, Armenian clergyman, printed here the first Armenian printed edition of the Bible in 5000 copies based on the Bible written upon the order of Hethum the Second, the 13th-century King of Cilicia. The publisher collaborated with the great Dutch punch cutter Christoffel van Dijck. This is a great example of a cultural interaction and testimony of the same origins of civilization of Armenia and the Netherlands.

Another episode of early interactions between Armenia and Netherlands is that Armenian merchants established commercial houses in the Netherlands in the 16th century. Holy Ghost Revival Church of Amsterdam was built in 1714 by Armenian merchants, which later became the center of social and cultural life for Armenians in Amsterdam. In the 1700s, 70 Armenian families already lived in Amsterdam. One of Amsterdam's ancient bridges, which served as a transit route for Armenian merchants from Jugha in the 17th century, is now called the “Armenian Bridge”.

The presentation of this impressive collection at the Drents Museum, and the bilingual catalog will give us a strong impetus for strengthening the friendship between the two nations and allow thousands of visitors to discover Armenia’s past under the spell of Ararat, which has always been a universal symbol for Armenians and Christians in general, and a guideline for continuity.

I would like to thank the initiators of this project, some of them present here today, those who supported its realization, regardless of difficulties. Special thanks go to the Romashuk-Hayrapetyan family from Assen for their engagement and assistance from the very first day.

Once again, I am truly delighted to attend this occasion and look forward to hosting a similar Dutch exhibition in Armenia.

Thank you”.

Afterwards, 5 figures from different spheres of the Netherlands were awarded the state awards of Armenia for their contribution to the establishment, strengthening, development of friendly relations with the Republic of Armenia, and pro-Armenian activities. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan handed over the awards at a ceremony organized at the Drents Museum.

At the proposal of the Prime Minister and by the decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Armenia's independence, Inge Drost, André Rouvoet, Leen van Dijke, Harry van Bommel and Anna-Maria Mattaar were awarded with state awards of Armenia for their significant contribution to the establishment, strengthening, development of friendly relations with the Republic of Armenia, and to the protection of universal values. In particular, André Rouvoet and Inge Drost were awarded the "Mkhitar Gosh" medal, Harry van Bommel, Leen van Dijke - the "Gratitude" medal, Anna-Maria Mattaar - the "Movses Khorenatsi" medal.

In his speech, the Prime Minister particularly said, “Mrs. Drost, Mr. Rouvoet, Mr. van Dijke, Mr. van Bommel,

I am very glad to welcome you in this solemn ceremony of decorating you with Armenian state awards. I would like to say that this is the expression of our warm gratitude and appreciation for your activity as great friends of Armenia and the Armenian people, and for your support concerning very important topics for Armenia, for internaitonal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, promotion and protection of the rights of the people of Artsakh.

The popularization of Armenian culture in the Netherlands, the popularization of the Dutch culture in Armenia is very important, which, of course, deepens the bilateral and humanitarian ties between our friendly countries and states. And of course, the political, humanitarian and other support should also be mentioned, and I would like to say that we are grateful to you and we consider you as friends of Armenia and we count on you, and you also can count on us. I hope you will continue your support to Armenian democracy, Armenian peace agenda, and of course, the rights of people of Artsakh and Nagorno Karabakh.

I believe that as a result of this cooperation and friendship, we can make this world a better place.

Thank you so much and my appreciation on behalf of the Republic of Armenia and the people of the Republic of Armenia, people of Artsakh for your support and friendship”.

The above-mentioned exhibition will be open until October 30. 160 valuable exhibits from the History Museum of Armenia, the Treasury of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin are presented. A unique relic of Noah's Ark is also exhibited.

Within the framework of the visit, Prime Minister Pashinyan will have meetings with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, the President of the Senate of the Netherlands Jan Anthonie Bruijn and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Vera Bergkamp. Nikol Pashinyan will meet with members of the foreign relations committees of both Houses of parliament. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the Dutch business community.

Nikol Pashinyan will also visit the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia will deliver a lecture at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations entitled "Armenia and the Netherlands. Centuries-old friendship - 30-year partnership”.

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The official visit of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands continues. On May 11, the Prime Minister visited the office of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers in The Hague, where he met with representatives of the local business community.

Ingrid Thijssen, Director of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, noted that local businessmen are interested in cooperation with Armenia, and they are ready to discuss investment opportunities in various fields in Armenia and get acquainted with the conditions created for business. According to her, the Armenian community in the Netherlands enjoys great sympathy, the representatives of which stand out for their responsibility to work, creativity and business skills.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that he is glad to start the working day in The Hague with a meeting with businessmen to present the economic opportunities and attractiveness of Armenia to the Dutch business, also in the light of the current challenges. Nikol Pashinyan thanked for holding this important meeting and presented the reforms being implemented in our country, including the creation of favorable conditions for business and the fight against systemic corruption. Nikol Pashinyan thanked for holding this important meeting and presented the reforms being implemented in our country, including those aimed at the creation of favorable conditions for business and the fight against systemic corruption.

In particular, Nikol Pashinyan noted that Armenia is undergoing effective reforms for the development of democratic institutions, also with the support of the European Union, which are aimed at ensuring favorable conditions for investment. The Prime Minister attached importance to the regional stability in the context of attracting investments, adding that the Armenian government is interested in it.

Touching upon the capital investments in Armenia, the Prime Minister spoke about the large-scale North-South road construction program. Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized cooperation in the fields of agriculture, high technologies, education and industry. The Prime Minister, in particular, referred to the programs implemented in the fields of modern agriculture, education and information technologies, adding that these directions are of strategic importance for the government. The Prime Minister also stressed the cooperation in the field of tourism, including gastrotourism, where there are wide opportunities.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Pashinyan, as well as the members of the Armenian governmental delegation, answered various questions of the businessmen, which referred to the opportunities and prospects for the implementation of investment programs in our country. The Prime Minister stressed that the Armenian government is ready to discuss mutually beneficial programs and projects, to support their effective implementation within the framework of its tools.

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Within the framework of the official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Peace Palace in The Hague. The Prime Minister was welcomed here by Piet Hein Donner, President of the Board of The Hague Academy of International Law and Chairman of the Carnegie Foundation Peace Palace.

The Prime Minister first toured the Peace Palace, then took part in the inauguration ceremony of the Armenian khachkar in the latter's yard.

In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan, in particular, noted.

“Dear President of the Carnegie Foundation,

I would like to thank you for being with us today on this beautiful morning in the city of peace and justice, at the premises of the Peace Palace - the temple of Peace, as Andrew Carnegie coined more than 100 years ago, and which is the house of such an important International institution as the International Court of Justice.

It’s a great honor for me to inaugurate on behalf of my nation an Armenian Khachkar or Cross-Stone as a gift from Armenia.

This is a history that we create together with you today, since the first ever Armenian cross is being erected in a city, which is known as the world’s capital of international law and justice.

There are more than 50,000 Khachkars and each of them has its own unique features. The symbolism and craftsmanship of Khachkars has been inscribed in 2010 on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The cross-stone is a unique manifestation development of Armenian culture; it is one of the most characteristic symbols of the Armenian identity. Having behind more than thousands years of history, the cross-stone is also a contemporary cultural phenomenon.

The Armenian people install cross-stones both in Armenia and in those hospitable countries, where they settle down due to different circumstances. Thus, the cross-stone has become a symbol and message of friendship, solidarity, cooperation and gratitude.

Dear friends,

For millennium Armenia and Armenians have strived for peace, as the ultimate goal to live and create in their homeland. Our Government is currently doing its utmost to promote the peace agenda in the region, despite the existential threats my nation is still facing.

This Cross-Stone – Khachkar symbolizes the Armenian understanding of peace and resilience and constant struggle for peace, be it in Armenian highlands and elsewhere.

Khachkar is a masterpiece and symbol of Armenian culture, its essence and has in itself the message of peace, carved in the stone that remains intact during the centuries. This is why the Khachkar was chosen as a gift to the Peace palace to symbolize generations of Armenians, who contributed to the peace in the World.

With this donation Armenia boldly reiterates its solid commitment to continue its contribution to the peace in our region and worldwide”.

Piet Hein Donner, President of the Board of The Hague Academy of International Law and Chairman of the Carnegie Foundation Peace Palace, thanked for donating an Armenian khachkar to the Peace Palace and expressed confidence that it will occupy a unique place in its territory.

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is in The Hague, visited the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, Clingendael. The Prime Minister was met by Ron Ton, Director of the Netherlands Institute for International Relations, who welcomed the PM’s visit to the Institute.

The Prime Minister delivered a speech at the institute, during which he referred to the reforms of democratic institutions being carried out in Armenia, the processes taking place in the South Caucasus and the region.

“I am the first Armenian leader to pay an official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I view this visit not only in the context of traditional Armenian-Dutch historical ties, trade and economic relations, but also in the context of Armenia's democracy. I must emphasize that after the Nonviolent, velvet, popular revolution in Armenia in 2018, we felt the support of the Netherlands to democratic reforms in Armenia. In general, in Armenia I now say more often that democracy is the main brand of the Republic of Armenia, by which our country is recognized by the international community these days, particularly in Europe and the European Union. I must emphasize that this is not just my assessment, because the international institutions that deal with global research on democracy, the fight against corruption, the press, and freedom of speech register this reality. I must state that in 2021, for the first time, Armenia was ranked among the countries with electoral democracies by international democratic institutions, and I consider this a significant achievement.

In recent years, during the last four years, Armenia has made tremendous progress in the fight against corruption or the perception of corruption. And yes, I must also make a loud statement, saying that systemic corruption has been eradicated from Armenia. Although there are some corruptions phenomena that we are consistently fighting against, and that is visible. By 2021, we, despite the post-war crisis year, have made tremendous progress in the area of freedom of speech and the press. According to the latest published indexes, Armenia is the 51st in the world”, the Prime Minister aid, adding that the Government of Armenia is resolute in its commitment to carry out democratic reforms in the country.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the pages like public distrust towards the election results or the practice of falsifying elections are closed in Armenia.

"I can say with confidence that Armenia has no way back, because the source of these reforms is not the government, but the people, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, who clearly, firmly take the responsibility for democracy, the rule of law. Of course, we all understand that we still have a long way to go in terms of institutional development. Unfortunately, I cannot present great results in the field of having an independent judiciary. All I can only say that this is one of the most important issues facing Armenia today. And the biggest problem is that studying the leading experience in this field we see that there are no tested formulas. We see that even in many European countries the same processes take place when there is a struggle, it is difficult to distinguish who is right and who is wrong in the struggle for an independent judiciary. That is why here we prefer to move forward in a way that does not harm, because we are talking about guaranteeing people's freedoms and rights."

In this context, the Prime Minister referred to the reforms being implemented in penitentiaries. "I would like to also emphasize an indicator that has to do with democracy, the rule of law, the protection of human rights, and an independent judiciary. Years before the revolution, our penitentiaries were all overcrowded. In other words, we even had a situation when detainees, convicts, had no place to sleep, they had to sleep in turns. Of course, I was lucky when I was a political prisoner, I did not face such a problem, but it was a public problem in the Republic of Armenia. Today, the Republic of Armenia ranks second in Europe in terms of prison population. I mean it is among the least loaded countries, I must say that we are second only to Monaco in that index. We are in a very good position in terms of the prison population compared to all other countries. This is also an important indicator. Recently, responding to the criticism of our opposition figures, of course, there is opposition in a democratic country, there is strong criticism, sometimes radical criticism. I presented that same indexes when giving a speech at the parliament, because some people try to show that we deviate from democratic standards, persecute our political opponents. I said that in the countries that deviate from the path of democracy and follow the path of repression, prisons are usually opened, not closed, while in our country, during this period of our rule, the two largest prisons have been closed”, Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

The Armenian PM once again referred to the fight against corruption in the country, emphasizing, "I must note, of course, with great sadness and a little displeasure that not only former officials are now accused of corruption, but also officials who have been appointed as ministers by me, have been members of my government, have been high-ranking officials."

Referring to the 44-day war, Nikol Pashinyan said, "There is an opinion that it was democracy in Armenia that led to the 44-day war in 2020, the second Karabakh war. The main question that is hanging in the atmosphere in Armenia today is to what extent democracy is able to ensure the security of the country. This is really a very important question and I want to comment on it. The 2020 Karabakh war has nothing to do with Armenia being a democracy. The situation here is more serious, I have to draw some parallels. It is generally accepted, or at least there was such an opinion also in Europe in the early 1990s, that it was the Karabakh movement that started in 1988 and later led to the collapse of the Soviet Union or a change in the world order. My deepest belief and conviction is that in fact the Karabakh war of 2020, the 44-day war, was, in fact, another sign that global geopolitical change awaits us; a change in the world order will take place. In fact, there were two reasons for the war, the first being the change in the balance of power between the global and regional powers, which took place over many years, and Azerbaijan's negotiation policy against this background, “give us what we want, otherwise we will get it through war”. In this sense, it is clear that war was inevitable in this context. Of course, it was a severe ordeal for the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, for Artsakh, for the Republic of Armenia, for the democracy of Armenia. I must state that, nevertheless, the situation in our region remains extremely tense; in fact, the reasons I am talking about have not changed. I want to give a clear picture of the post-war situation, which was confirmed by the trilateral declaration of November 9, 2020, as a result of which the peacekeeping forces of the Russian Federation entered Nagorno Karabakh, so that it becomes clear for everyone, not only experts, where the problem is. After the war or after the November 9 declaration, Azerbaijan has adopted the following policy that the Nagorno Karabakh issue is resolved, but this is not only a political statement, but, in fact, the culmination of the ideas Azerbaijan had about the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and continues to have. If we formulate that policy in one word, that policy is the following: Karabakh without Armenians. And there is no exaggeration here. Now I will show with concrete examples that this is the policy. For example, this spring we had the following incident, when representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces made announcments with loudspeakers near the Armenian villages of Nagorno-Karabakh, warning them to leave their homes, otherwise they will be forcibly evicted. Another important cincident: At night, the houses of the Armenian villages of Karabakh were illuminated with strong lights, and the Adhan was recited with loudspeakers, which is an invitation to Muslim prayer. We, of course, the Armenian people have great respect for Muslim culture and religion, but I must say that this is, in fact, a simple example of religious terrorism. For many years, Azerbaijan has been trying to give a religious context to the Karabakh issue, which it has failed to do because we have warm, friendly, fraternal relations with many Muslim countries, but once again an attempt is being made to reintroduce this factor into the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

The next thing I would like to mention is the following. Nagorno-Karabakh is generally a warm region, but in March of this year, an unprecedented amount of snow fell there, and on March 7-11, unprecedented frosts began. And just in those days we saw the explosion of the gas pipeline supplying Karabakh in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. It took a long time to repair it, while after the repair, Azerbaijan installed a valve on the pipe, trying to use it as a means of political, moral and social pressure. I mean, everything is done so that the Armenians consider their presence in Artsakh and Nagorno Karabakh impossible. And with this in mind they say that Nagono Karabakh issue is solved, that no Armenian will stay in Nagono Karabakh, the Armenians of Nagono Karabakh will not have any rights, the identity of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh will be destroyed and eradicated. There is no exaggeration in what I say. Look, quite recently a rather strange statement was made by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. They announced that a working group has been set up, and as they describe it, for "eliminating and deleting fake records from churches considered to be Armenian". While a few months before that, the president of Azerbaijan, visiting an area under the control of Azerbaijan, where there is an ancient Armenian church, literally stated the following: "The records are false, that forgery must be eliminated." This is not just a cultural action against historical monuments at all. Although, even if it was, it is already an outrageous and inadmissible fact. The political goal of this, when we put it together with other statements made by Azerbaijan, is to state that the Armenians of Karabakh have just recently appeared in Nagorno Karabakh under different circumstances, so they have no legitimate right to live there. And this is the policy adopted by Azerbaijan today. Meanwhile, our perception is completely different, our perception is that the Nagorno Karabakh issue is not a territorial issue at all, as Azerbaijan was trying to present, the Nagorno Karabakh issue is a matter of right, and our policy, our message to the international community is that we must work to protect the rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. And it is in this context that we, despite all this negativity, have adopted a peace agenda. This was not easy in a situation where there was a war, when we had casualties. We have said that regardless of everything, it is the commitment and mandate of our government to do everything to achieve peace in our region, in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to do everything for peace, and not simply to do everything, but to achieve peace, formulate the problem and solve it. You may have noticed that before I came here there were two demonstrations, one in defense of our government, one against our government or personally me. This is where all this comes from, because many people, many compatriots think that by talking about the peace agenda we are betraying our national identity, we are betraying the interests of our country, we are betraying the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, we are betraying Nagorno Karabakh, we are leaving them defenseless. But our conviction is the opposite. We listen to that criticism, we analyze that criticism, we try to understand that criticism. Even in some cases we understand it generally, but the biggest task of the politician, the political team, the government elected by the people is to go the hard way, because the easy ways do not lead to good results. And the result we expect is the following: an era of peaceful development for our country, our region. For that, we need to successfully carry out the opening of regional communications so that our railways and roads with Azerbaijan operate and be open".

Nikol Pashinyan also referred to the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. "We have started a dialog with Turkey, we have agreed to try to normalize relations without preconditions, it is clear that in a situation where there is a very large negative historical heritage, this is not easy to do. I am talking about this here, because it is my belief that without the active, sincere support of the international community, we will have less chances to succeed. We want the international community to hear our voice, we want the international community to see the people who live in Nagorno-Karabakh today, who, every day, despite many factors, fight every day for the right to live in their homeland, but on the other hand, there is a strange fact that these people are, in fact, deprived of the opportunity to fully communicate with the international community. Today, many international organizations, agencies, UN, UNESCO, even the OSCE, are deprived of the opportunity to enter Nagorno-Karabakh because Azerbaijan blocks that opportunity, but this practice, frankly, is not so comprehensible, because if there is no desire to transform the reality, that policy of restricting that access is not so comprehensible”.

The Prime Minister once again referred to the peace agenda, the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, noting, “We have clearly stated that yes, we are adopting a peace agenda, we must follow the path of demarcation and delimitation of the borders with Azerbaijan, in other words, we should commence peace talks. I want to make a very important clarification in this regard. In February-March, Azerbaijan presented its approaches on the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, where there are five main points. These refer to mutual recognition of each other's territorial integrity, demarcation of borders, opening of communications, absence of territorial claims from each other. And we, looking at those proposals, saw that there was nothing unacceptable to them in them, but we noticed that those points did not address the whole agenda of our relations. And we, examining those proposals, saw that there is nothing unacceptable for us in them, but we noticed that those points do not address the whole agenda of our relations. And we completed the agenda of those relations, which includes the issue of the security, rights of the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and the final status of Nagorno Karabakh. When a meeting mediated by the President of the European Council Charles Michel took place on April 6, we discussed the issue with the president of Azerbaijan, and I said that there is nothing unacceptable in the points they offer us. If the Azerbaijani side agrees to combine our ideas and start negotiations on that basis, we are ready for that. Returning from Brussels, I said that we had reached an agreement, in fact, the Azerbaijani side also announced it. But lately, we hear statements from Azerbaijan trying to create the impression that only Azerbaijan's proposals will be on the table. This at least does not correspond to the agreements we reached in Brussels. I must state, reaffirm my position today, publicly, officially, before you, that we are ready to negotiate on the basis of the mentioned principles, on the basis of that agenda. Although, in fact, the process that was planned, nothing has changed in that process. A meeting of our representatives on the issue of demarcation and delimitation is planned in the near future, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will also meet.

And I have to say something as a summary. You know, we have gone through many ordeals over the last two years, but today I can say with deep conviction that we are on the right track. This is the path of advancing the peace agenda, we know it will be very difficult, but we are ready to take on that political responsibility, because we feel, see, bear the responsibility to have a decisive contribution to the establishment of peace in our country, our region, and global peace in general. To make a decisive contribution, I hope the international community, our partners, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, all our partners will support us in this effort."

The Prime Minister answered the questions of the attendees: representatives of expert circles, students, which referred to the Armenian-Russian relations, the partnership between Armenia and the European Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the processes taking place in the South Caucasus, increasing the role of women in public and political life.

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The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in the Netherland on an official visit, met with the President of the Senate of the Netherlands Jan Anthonie Bruijn and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Vera Bergkamp.

The heads of the two chambers of the Dutch parliament welcomed the official visit of the Armenian PM to the Netherlands and expressed confidence that it will contribute to the development of cooperation between the two countries in various spheres, including at the parliamentary level. They stressed their country's interest in developing cooperation with Armenia, emphasizing the warm atmosphere in the country towards the Armenian people. In particular, the fact of the adoption of the resolution on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the House of Representatives of the Netherlands was noted. Jan Anthonie Bruijn and Vera Bergkamp welcomed the consistent steps in the direction of democratic reforms in our country, adding that the Netherlands is ready to contribute to their effective implementation through its experience.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that this is the first case when the leader of the Republic of Armenia pays an official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and expressed hope that it will give a new impetus to the bilateral partnership. The Prime Minister referred to the reforms being carried out in Armenia, emphasizing that the Executive will continue to consistently push forward the reform agenda. Nikol Payanyan thanked the Heads of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Netherlands for adopting the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and for showing a balanced position on Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Afterwards, the Prime Minister met with the members of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the two chambers of the parliament and answered a number of questions. They referred to the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia-EU relations, the processes taking place in the South Caucasus and in the international arena.

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The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in The Hague.

Mr. Rutte attached importance to the official visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to the Netherlands and the development of cooperation between the two countries in all spheres.

During the meeting, the interlocutors also emphasized the development and expansion of economic relations between the two countries, the implementation of relevant measures to expand business ties. They expressed confidence that there is a great potential for economic cooperation between Armenia and the Netherlands, the realization of which will contribute to the increase of trade turnover.

The parties touched upon the Armenia-EU relations, the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, the processes taking place in the international arena.

Then, the Heads of Government of the two countries issued statements.

Mark Rutte, in particular, said,

“Thank you very much. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome and receive Nikol Pashinyan and some members of his government here.

The Netherlands and Armenia are geographically several thousand kilometers apart, but in other respects the distance between our countries is small. We are the appreciator of cultural values. An exhibition opened at the Drents Museum yesterday, and I hope to visit it soon. We also have excellent diplomatic relations that have existed for 30 years. The opening of the Embassy of the Netherlands took place in Yerevan, which confirms our excellent bilateral relations.

The visit of Prime Minister Pashinyan is taking place at a very right time, because the Armenian government has very big plans after last year's elections. We have many topics to talk about, there are very big plans. Armenia has made great investments, it is following the path of democracy, although sometimes there are difficult situations and conditions. Following the velvet revolution under the leadership of Prime Minister Pashinyan, great changes have taken place, corruption and many other wrongdoings have been fought. I am greatly convinced that the reforms will be very effective, all Armenians will benefit from it. I highly appreciate Mr. Pashinyan, I highly appreciate the activities of his government, I promised him that we will support in every way.

Although there are many positive achievements, unfortunately, the catastrophic war in Ukraine saddens everyone. Of course, we talked about that today. Our position is very clear: this terrible war must end, all parties must sit at the table and start negotiations. Only this can lead to lasting peace. Unfortunately, Armenia well understands what war means, and that is why it is so important that Armenia and Azerbaijan have recently begun negotiations to reach an agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh in the near future. We emphasize its importance; we support the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. It is a very difficult dialogue after so much grief. Mr. Pashinyan made very clear about that in the parliament. I expressed my respect for that, the efforts of the Armenian government in that regard, we wholeheartedly welcome and we will continue to welcome. Of course, we have not finished our conversations yet, we will sit at the table soon, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Pashinyan and the ministers for the visit.

During this visit, we reaffirmed what unites our nations. It promises very good, positive cooperation in the future. I personally welcome all that, thank you again, I hope we will meet again."

Nikol Pashinyan particularly said,

“Honorable Mr. Prime Minister,

First of all, I would like to thank you for the warm welcome and the invitation to pay an official visit. I must state that this is the first official visit of the Armenian leader to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And I have had several opportunities to say today that the fact that this official visit is taking place at this time, I assess it not only as the expression of our rich historical relations and well-developed trade and economic relations, but also as the support of the Netherlands, personally your, Mr. Prime Minister, to the Armenian democracy, the agenda of democratic reforms adopted by our government. This is my first visit to the Netherlands, I am very impressed with your wonderful and beautiful country. And, of course, it is an additional impetus, it encourages us to further develop relations in all spheres, to encourage the further development of human, cultural and economic ties between our countries. I must also express my gratitude to you, Mr. Prime Minister, for the positions you expressed regarding the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and for your clear support for the peace agenda adopted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia. I must say that yes, we received at last year’s early parliamentary elections, which I am pleased to say was unequivocally assessed by the international community as free, in line with democratic standards, a mandate from our people to adopt and implement the peace agenda. The agenda of our bilateral relations is very rich, we hope to move forward in all directions. We are very interested, we discussed on several occasions today, in particular, the issue of wider application of agricultural technologies in Armenia. We know that the Netherlands is the most developed country in terms of agricultural-technologies, and we are happy and thankful that both the government and the business community we met today are interested in further developments in these areas. The role of the Kingdom of the Netherlands և your government is very important in supporting democratic reforms. The role of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and your government is very important in supporting democratic reforms. Of course, our main partner in this issue is the European Union, and of course, the support of EU member states is important. I must state that in 2021 the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement entered into force, which, in fact, is the joint agenda of democratic reforms. And we are determined to fully implement that agenda, we are determined to open an era of peaceful development for our country and our region. We also discussed the processes taking place in Armenia-Turkey relations, Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. And I am happy to say that, in fact, we state that we have a common understanding of these processes, a common understanding that the peace agenda must really be implemented. But we all know that this is not possible without the support of the international community, we are glad that our agenda is understood by our international partners. Let me thank you again for this warm welcome and express confidence that as a results of the visit a new impetus will be given to the further development of our relations.

Thank you."

Nikol Pashinyan and Mark Rutte answered the questions of the journalists.

“Shant TV”, Vahagn Hakobyan - My question is to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Mr. Prime Minister, what’s the attitude of the Netherlands, as a founding member of the European Union and as a promoter of the values of the European Union, to the fact that Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian prisoners of war and does not release them? Moreover, despite the numerous statements of Armenia that it is ready for peace, Armenia is a supporter of peace, Azerbaijan continues to violate the ceasefire, moreover, it is still in the sovereign territory of Armenia.

And finally, you spoke about cultural values. How do you feel about the fact that in the territories of Artsakh that have passed under the control of Azerbaijan, that country distorts and destroys the Armenian historical-culture monuments with top state sponsorship? Thank you.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte - Thanks for the question. First of all, let me say that the war of 2020 showed all of us that ultimate peace is very important, that is why we are so happy that an intensive dialogue is taking place. These are, of course, extremely difficult and emotional conversations with such a history behind. At the same time, I would like to say that a lasting peace is achievable, and only with that peace the two countries can live in that region. We must be very realistic in that regard.

The war in Ukraine also has an impact on the three presidents of the Minsk Group, I mean France, the United States and Russia. The positive thing is that these presidents are active, they actively operate, they continue their positive work, and my colleague, as he said about it, the European Union is very active in that respect. The President of the European Council Charles Michel plays a very facilitating role in the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on all parties to end the violence, reduce tensions and resolve the conflict at the peace table. Of course, I cannot talk about it very long, but during our conversations and telephone conversations, we both confirmed the same thing, which is very important to implement.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I would like to comment, emphasizing that we also discussed the issue of our captives held in Azerbaijan. And I must note that the House of Representatives of the Netherlands has adopted a very clear resolution on this issue. I must also state that our positions on this issue coincide with those of Prime Minister Rutte. Of course, it is clear that this situation is becoming more and more unacceptable to the international community, when people's lives can be used for political purposes. Our position is clear: prisoners of war must return home.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte - The Netherlands will continue to make efforts in this direction so that the captives can return safely to their homeland.

Question - Mr Rutte, the European Union often has problems with Eastern European countries. Now the French president has different plans for reorganizing the European Union. Maybe they are planning to create a new political union, other candidate countries may be included, maybe Armenia will be included in it? What do you think? Maybe it is a good idea for Armenia as well, maybe the Prime Minister of Armenia will be able to say something about it, or what are his views on such a union?

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte - Of course, very interesting plans have been expressed. We are not familiar with the details either. We hope to get acquainted soon. Not much is known about it now. Very little is known. Our first initial reaction is that it is a very interesting idea. We, of course, are well aware that there are great tensions in the Western Balkans, in North Macedonia and Albania. There are prospects for them to be included, to become candidates, to join that new union. But, unfortunately, problems have arisen around Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, and those issues have not been resolved yet. I'm going to visit Sofia next week. But those nuances do exist. I want to discuss these issues in more depth, and then express an opinion. But for now, I can say that it is an interesting idea.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - If I understand the question correctly, I must say that we are very pleased with the recent reports of the European Union's Eastern Partnership, because these reports show that Armenia is really moving forward very confidently with democratic reforms. But there is a nuance about which I would like to speak. We do not want the Eastern Partnership countries to be judged by whether they have an agenda to join the European Union or not, because I think these are different issues. We are doing very well in the direction of reforms, we do not want the progress of those reforms to be assessed on the basis of whether we are a candidate for EU membership or not. And we must ask, mediate to remove these classifications of the Eastern Partnership countries, so that the countries are grouped according to their objective indicators and success, reforms.

Public TV company of Armenia, Irina Mkrtchyan – My question is to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Are there any plans to pay a return visit to Armenia or not? What is your position on the Armenia-EU visa liberalization dialogue?

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte - The issue of visa is very complicated. We are talking about that with Armenia. At present we have no news to report. But it is a matter of conversation.

I would appreciate it very much; I have not been to Armenia so far. If I receive such an invitation. We have been left behind our schedule so much due to COVID-related events, but I would love to visit Armenia.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan – With Great pleasure. I officially invite you to pay a visit to the Republic of Armenia at any time in the near future convenient for you. I will be looking forward to meeting you.

The visit of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands has ended.