Monday, September 14 2020 11:14

ArmInfo. In a difficult period of our history, when the existence of the Armenian people was in danger, Egypt, along with other Arab countries, hosted thousands  of Armenians who escaped the horrors of genocide in the Ottoman  Empire. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is on an  official visit to Cairo, said this at a joint press conference with  Egyptian Foreign Minister Samekh Shukri.

Recalling that Egypt became the first Arab country to recognize the  independence of Armenia in 1992, the Armenian minister noted that the  Armenian-Egyptian relations have historical roots and are based on  mutual trust and respect.

At the same time, Mnatsakanyan stated that the Armenians of Egypt  made an important contribution to the formation and development of  state institutions of this Arab country, which causes pride. "Our  compatriots have been given every opportunity to preserve their  national identity, language and traditions. They are proud citizens  of Egypt who have been given every opportunity to preserve and  express their Armenian national identity. Of course, we are deeply  grateful to the Egyptian government and people for these efforts to  protect our people. The Armenian community of about ten thousand  people is undoubtedly a bridge of friendship between our peoples,  "the Armenian Foreign Minister stated.

At the same time, he recalled that friendly and very practical  relations have developed between Armenia and Egypt, and this visit is  a good opportunity to assess their current state.  At the same time,  Mnatsakanyan stated that Armenia and Egypt have common interests in  the field of peace, security and development. "And we know that we  have achieved the best results working together and working closely.  We have had productive discussions on our bilateral agenda, and there  is good and interesting potential here. We are ready to take  practical steps in this direction. We have established a strong  political dialogue with Egypt. , trade, economic and cultural ties  have been established. And we agree that we have an interesting  potential for further expanding cooperation in the field of  information technology, e-government, pharmaceuticals, tourism and  education. Work in this direction, of course, will continue. " , -  assured Mnatsakanyan, adding that there are appropriate sites for  this.  The Armenian minister also announced that the visit of the  Egyptian President to Armenia is expected, and he is also expecting  the Foreign Minister to visit. "The visit of the President of Egypt,  which we expect and plan to closely cooperate in this direction, is  an important starting point for covering all these important issues  of bilateral cooperation," the Armenian minister said.

At the same time, Mnatsakanyan noted that in the context of bilateral  cooperation, Armenia also appreciates Egypt's interest in close  cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union. He reminded that the  negotiations on signing the free trade zone agreement are continuing  and Armenia is interested in the successful completion of the process  so that the agreement can be signed. At the same time, he added that  Yerevan will closely cooperate with Cairo and EAEU partners to  achieve this goal.  The Armenian Foreign Minister said that he  discussed with his Egyptian counterpart a wide range of issues of  regional stability and security, exchanged views on the latest  processes in the region.  "And we see that these processes, today,  more than ever, emphasize the need to ensure regional peace and  security. We are witnessing serious security challenges that stretch  from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East and North Africa.  We are witnessing the same problems in the South Caucasus They are  interconnected and are characterized by the same sources of  destabilization.  We are closely following developments in the  Eastern Mediterranean and express our solidarity with Greece and  Cyprus in their inalienable right to operate in their exclusive  economic zone in accordance with international law. And in the same  way, I want to emphasize our solidarity and support for Egypt, "the  Armenian minister said.  The Armenian Foreign Minister stressed that  any attempt to export instability or tension to other regions in  order to expand its sphere of influence is condemnable, be it North  Africa or the South Caucasus.  According to him, transnational  threats, including the movement or movement of foreign terrorists  into conflict zones, cause serious concern and condemnation, and it  is necessary to take measures to eliminate them.  Mnatsakanyan also  told Shukri about the development of the situation in the South  Caucasus and the tension on the state border of Armenia in connection  with the aggression of Azerbaijan. "We strongly believe that all  conflicts are different, if there is one thing in common, it is that  there is no military solution to conflicts. To achieve this goal, we  need peacekeepers who can draw the red line of the spread of war. In  this regard, Armenia appreciates Egypt's strong commitment to peace  and stability everywhere, including in Libya. We welcome your efforts  in this direction, "the Armenian minister summed up.