The official opening ceremony of the new building of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the United Kingdom took place on November 13 within the framework of the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan to the United Kingdom. Timothy Minto, the Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade, attended the ceremony on behalf of the UK government.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom Timothy Minto delivered welcoming and congratulatory remarks. The ceremony was also attended by Alistair Harrison, His Majesty’s Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Victoria Busby, the Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, His Grace Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as representatives of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Remarks by Minister Ararat Mirzoyan are presented below.

“Your excellency minister Minto,
Your Grace,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear guests,

It is with the great pleasure and sense of profound honor that we gather here today to celebrate the opening of the new embassy of the Republic of Armenia in London. This embassy stands as a beacon of friendship and cooperation between our nations and this building is a bridge that connects not only our governments, but also our economies, our cultures and our peoples. As we cut the ribbon today we not only open a building, but lay a new foundation for deepening our relations. We are reaffirming our commitments to deepen our political dialogue, our economic and cultural ties. It is also an interesting coincidence that immediately after this opening ceremony we are going to launch a new level in our bilateral relations, we are going to launch a strategic dialogue between the Republic of Armenia and the United Kingdom.

Dear guests,

It is my pleasure to share this historic moment with you today, in this historic building in the heart of London. Thank you for being part of this historic moment.”

The attendees also wrote a message in the book of honourable guests of the Embassy, where Ararat Mirzoyan particularly noted: “For almost three decades, Armenia and the United Kingdom have made efforts to develop bilateral relations. I am sure that the new Embassy of Armenia will provide an opportunity to deepen current foundations over the coming decades, revealing new prospects, confronting modern challenges and threats.

The placement of the Embassy of Armenia in this building, located in the heart of London, demonstrates our willingness to deepen and give new impetus to the Armenian-British relations for the benefit of our two peoples.”