On August 31, the meeting of the MFA senior staff and heads of diplomatic missions continued its works.

High-ranking diplomats had a thorough talk on the recent development in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, and touched upon the bilateral and multilateral dimensions of Armenia’s foreign policy, as well as regional and international issues.

The improvement of the works of consular service was on the agenda of the discussions, as well. In this regards, Minister Nalbandian gave instructions to raise the quality of consular services provided abroad and the effectiveness of the protection of the interests of RA citizens.

During the ambassadorial meeting issues of information activities of the diplomatic missions were touched upon.

Concluding the works of the meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian gave appropriate assignments on the implementation of the tasks presented by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan to the diplomats.

The participants of the meeting visited the Tsitsernakaberd (Armenian Genocide Memorial) and paid tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

After the conclusion of the works of the ambassadorial meeting, the RA Ambassadors and the heads of the MFA’s departments led by Edward Nalbandian left for the Holy See of St. Edchmiadzin where they were received by His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians who gave his patriarchal blessing and wished the diplomats success in fulfilling their missions.

In the meeting the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked His Holiness, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians for the reception, underlining the filial love and deep respect of the Armenian diplomats for the Armenian Apostolic Church and Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude for the great support that our Church provided for the establishment and activities of the Armenian diplomatic missions and underscored that the RA Ambassadors were assigned to stand always by the Church, as the Church has always stood and stands firmly by the state.

In the course of the meeting with the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, issues of the preservation of the Armenian identity and cultural heritage, as well as, in that context, issues of the cooperation between the State and Church were discussed.

On behalf of the ministry and heads of the diplomatic missions, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian congratulated the 60th Anniversary of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and awarded with the MFA Medal.

On September 1, the lectures by the Minster of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Ministers, as well as the RA Ambassadors are scheduled at the Universities in Yerevan on the topic of “Armenia and the world”.

The Ambassadors also will have speeches in the RA MFA Diplomatic School.