On March 12 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Caspar Veldkamp signed a Joint Declaration օn the Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands.

The full text of the declaration is presented below.

Recognizing the longstanding historical and cultural ties between the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands,

Noting the intent in the current Government Programme of the Netherlands to support the Republic of Armenia,

Affirming the fundamental shared values underlying their partnership, including the commitment to uphold freedom of speech, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, the rules-based international order, and a resilient, rules-based trading system,

Reiterating their continued commitment to universally recognized principles and norms of international law,

Expressing the desire to contribute to regional and international security, stability, and peace,

Reaffirming the obligations under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and bearing in mind the aspiration of the Republic of Armenia to further strengthen its political, economic, security, and social ties with the European family and the broader community of democratic states,

Committing to further strengthen the bilateral relationship,

The signatories hereby declare the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands.

Strategic Partnership Framework

1: Political Dialogue 

1. The Republic of Armenia  and the Netherlands, hereafter “the signatories”, decide to enhance their political dialogue, grounded in mutual respect and shared values, including democracy, rule of law and human rights.
2. The signatories envisage to hold regular consultations at political and diplomatic levels, ensuring open channels of communication to address common priorities and concerns.
3. The signatories decide to continue working together on strengthening democracy, rule of law and human rights in Armenia, including through the MATRA and Human Rights programme.

2: Regional and International Cooperation

1. The signatories will work together, within international frameworks (including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the International Criminal Court, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other multilateral organizations and formats as well as international financial institutions) to promote rules-based international order, peace and stability, strengthen democratic institutions, human rights, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, effective governance, and anti-corruption efforts.
2. Efforts will continue to achieve a fair and lasting peace in the South Caucasus, based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, the non-use of force or threat of force, and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, as enshrined by the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
3. Stressing the importance to further deepen the Armenia-EU partnership, the signatories will continue to support and advocate for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), including in the field of economic cooperation.

3: Economic Cooperation and Infrastructure

1. The signatories decide to strengthen economic cooperation as a pillar of their strategic partnership and will strive to expand trade, investment, and business partnerships.
2. The signatories will explore the scope for cooperation in water infrastructure and water waste treatment.
3. The signatories will enhance agricultural cooperation through technology-driven solutions and modern systems.
4. The signatories will explore the possibilities to create favorable conditions for businesses in both countries, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation, while also supporting economic resilience and recovery.
5. In line with the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the signatories will continue to work on strengthening Armenia’s economic development and connectivity, and to further increase trade relations with the EU. Both signatories will explore options to work together in the field of innovation and technological advances, and transition to a green economy.
6. The signatories will enhance cooperation to promote regional and international trade and transport connectivity, to which Armenia's “Crossroads of Peace” project has the potential to contribute.

4: Security cooperation in the context of Cyber Resilience and countering Hybrid Threats

1. The participants recognize the potential for enhanced security cooperation and decide to explore opportunities to strengthen collaboration in this regard.
2. With reference to the EU-Armenia Political and Security Dialogue, the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands emphasize the importance of enhancing cyber resilience and countering hybrid threats as essential components of their strategic partnership.
3. The signatories affirm their commitment to maintaining a free, open and secure cyberspace.
4. Collaborative efforts will focus on exchanging information and best practices on international cyber diplomacy, bolstering cyber resilience, and cooperation within the national cyber ecosystem.
5. The signatories affirm the importance to develop a secure and resilient digital infrastructure, encouraging the development and implementation of cybersecurity policies, and fostering international cooperation on cyber threats.
6. Both countries will continue to support multilateral initiatives, such as the Freedom Online Coalition. The signatories commit to strengthening a free, plural and independent media landscape and address the broader challenges posed by hybrid threats, including information operations and interference in democratic processes.

5: People-to-people contacts and Culture

To bring their societies closer, the signatories will work together to strengthen the people-to-people contacts between the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands, including through youth participation. The signatories will seek to foster cultural cooperation, building upon the long-lasting historical and cultural ties between the two countries.  

6: General aspects

This declaration reflects the political intent of the Governments of the Republic of Armenia and the Netherlands and does not give rise to any rights or obligations under domestic or international law, neither does it preclude future new areas of cooperation that may be identified and decided upon by the Governments.