On January 18, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in Zagreb on an official visit, had a meeting with Ante Sanader, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations, who is also the Chairman of the Armenian-Croatian Parliamentary friendship Group, as well as by the Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs and other members of Parliament.

At the meeting, both sides emphasized the friendly ties, cultural and historical commonalities between the Armenian and Croatian peoples, which formed a basis for building close relations and expanding political dialogue between the two countries.

The interlocutors touched upon the recent active contacts between Armenia and Croatia, including the participation of the Foreign Minister of Armenia in the Dubrovnik Forum in Croatia last year and the discussions held within this framework. The interlocutors emphasized that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Croatia, expressing confidence that through joint efforts it will be possible to maximize the existing potential for expanding cooperation between the two countries.

Both sides emphasized the importance of parliamentary cooperation in a bilateral format, and active interaction on various multilateral platforms as well.

The interlocutors also touched upon the current cooperation within the framework of the Armenia-EU partnership. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan highlighted the steps taken by the Government of Armenia towards democratic reforms, and the prospects of cooperation with the EU in this regard for the benefit of the well-being of Armenian citizens.

Ararat Mirzoyan briefed on the latest developments and current situation in the South Caucasus.

Minister Mirzoyan underscored Armenia's efforts to establish stability and peace in the region and the vision based on well-known principles, noting that the aggressive rhetoric coming from the highest level in Azerbaijan does not indicate mutual commitment.

Touching upon the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, Minister Mirzoyan stressed that despite the targeted messages from the Republic of Armenia and the international community, including various parliaments, it was not possible to prevent the forced displacement of more than 100.000 Armenians, which once again emphasized the importance for concrete actions to deter the aggressive policy.

As part of the peace agenda and a comprehensive approach to unblocking regional communications, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia also touched upon the "Crossroads of Peace" initiative developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia.

An exchange of views took place, and Minister Mirzoyan answered other questions of interest to the parliamentarians.