On October 13, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is on an official visit in Armenia.

Ministers Mirzoyan and Jaishankar discussed in detail the issues of further development, deepening and strengthening of Armenian-Indian cooperation based on traditionally friendly relations.

The Ministers expressed readiness to implement programs and new initiatives aimed at promoting cooperation in areas of mutual interest, particularly underlining the spheres of high technology, defense, healthcare, transportation, pharmaceutical industry, human exchanges, air communication, culture and tourism. In this regard, the role of the Armenian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission and the holding of its regular session in the near future was emphasized.

Both sides stressed the need to intensify reciprocal visits and regular contacts, consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the two states.

The sides also commenced the effective dialogue established within the framework of international organizations, expressing mutual readiness to further deepen cooperation in this direction. Minister Mirzoyan congratulated his counterpart on India’s effective presidency in the UN Security Council.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on the current developments on the “North-South” international transport corridor and further works to be carried out in this regard.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and India also touched upon a wide range of issues of regional security and stability. Minister Mirzoyan briefed his counterpart on the humanitarian situation created in result of the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Artsakh, especially emphasizing the need for immediate and unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, illegally held in Azerbaijan.
Minister Mirozyan stressed that Armenia consistently stands for the establishment of peace in the region, however, the infiltration of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the ongoing provocative actions in the conflict zone, underline the efforts aimed at regional security and stability.

Ararat Mirzoyan highly appreciated India's principal position and support for a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The Armenian Foreign Minister also commenced the statement of the Indian Foreign Ministry regarding the need for withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia.

The Armenian side reiterated its position on supporting India in the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting of Ararat Mirzoyan and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was followed by the joint press conference of the Foreign Ministers.

In the morning, accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial and paid tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of the Genocide.

Within the framework of the official visit, the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and India also visited the monument of Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan and participated in the tree-planting ceremony.