ArmInfo. The annual gathering of the heads of the central apparatus and the bodies of the foreign diplomatic service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia started in Yerevan.
Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mntsakanyan addressed the audience and stated that, despite the fact that annual gatherings have become a good tradition, they are the first after the non-violent "velvet revolution" in Armenia and aim to specify the foreign policy vector of Armenia, in tune with the program of the Armenian government . "The imperative of the day is to analyze the challenges and threats to the national security of our country, discuss topical issues of the international and regional agenda, which may have a direct impact on the implementation of the foreign policy of Armenia, as well as predict undesirable processes and, if possible, neutralize their negative consequences," the Foreign Minister Armenia said. At the same time, he emphasized that this time not only the format of the discussions has changed, but also the foreign policy vector of the Armenian Foreign Ministry is presented, which is based on three principles. According to him, the annual gatherings are held under the motto "Cooperation in action: diplomacy in a fleeting world"
Recalling the role of the "velvet revolution" for Armenia and its further interaction with the outside world, Mnatsakanyan spoke about three principles on which the Armenian foreign policy will continue to be based.
"The first one is to ensure sovereignty, the key element of which is pro-Armenian interests, the protection of all citizens of the Republic of Armenia regardless of their religious and national affiliation. To implement an independent foreign policy, it is necessary to fix the principle of sovereignty in today's global world, this principle is becoming increasingly important in implementation of the foreign policy course, when development challenges can only be solved independently on the basis of sovereign decision.
The second principle is pan-Armenianism. This principle is both a principle and a means. At first glance, this principle, seemingly ambitious, reflects the need to consider Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian Diaspora all over the world as a whole and proceeding from this common national agenda. This principle is first fixed in our foreign policy and should ensure the practical connection of the Diaspora with Armenia. The third principle is interaction. Armenia is ready to build equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with any state. Armenia will continue to work on regional peace, stability and security, and cooperation in this direction with friendly countries and other partners. We will continue to contribute to international security and international cooperation, contributing to global security interaction with all partners in all possible bilateral and multilateral formats, " Mnatsakanyan emphasized.