Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today met with President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Haroutunyan in the Office of the Armenian Government.

“Honorable President of the Artsakh Republic, I am happy to welcome you. This is the first official meeting held in Yerevan since you were elected President of Artsakh. Today we are celebrating one of the most glorious victories of our people - the heroic battle of Sardarapat, the Republic Day, which is emblematic as it shows how leaders can change the fate of a country and a nation.

This day has a great message and it is symbolic that we are holding our first official meeting in the Republic of Armenia, in Yerevan on this very day. I think that the necessary preconditions have been created after the elections for the governments and authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic to usher in the stage of strategic, long-term programs. Of course, our strategies and programs should be concerted as much as possible to increase the synergy effect.

During this time, we have discussed many issues related to the organization of our common affairs in the field of agriculture, industry and technology. As regards security, Armenia and Artsakh represent a single security area, and we are obviously facing the same challenges in this respect. I am convinced that we will be able to defy the challenges together and put our homeland on the path of strategic, long-term and sustainable development,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

President Haroutunyan stated, in turn: “Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. I would like to take this opportunity to join the congratulations that have been voiced today. This is a historic day of nationwide commitment, and as you mentioned, it is important to realize that a lot depends on the leaders. Especially today, harmonious work will give more efficiency to the development of our homeland, the Republic of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia.

I would like to express my readiness to share with you the commitments to our nation at this crucial, decisive and historic stage. Deepening integration will be one of the main topics for me as the President of Artsakh, and it is no coincidence that we are thinking of having a standalone unit in the form of an integration committee. I have already issued a decree to that effect.

In terms of security, we will indeed focus on our cooperation in the field of defense, but we have problems in other areas as well. And the economy has no alternative. As we pursue the same economic policy in the same economic space, we should take into account Artsakh’s peculiarities and pay special attention to Artsakh in order to achieve greater rate of economic integration.

Mr. Prime Minister, I expect to have your personal support as it has been all the way through your leadership in the past couple of years so that we could boast vivid examples of Artsakh’s development in the near future. I see the opportunity to change, develop and present Artsakh as an important cradle for Armenians. In conclusion, I would like to thank you again for hosting me on this historic day.”

The interlocutors discussed ways of building and promoting closer ties of interaction between the governments of Armenia and Artsakh.