ArmInfo. My visit to Yerevan takes place at a time when Armenia is facing many problems. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced on November 3 in Yerevan at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
"The images of the flow of people in the Lachin corridor, people leaving their homeland out of fear for their lives are still fresh in our memory. This was a serious challenge for Armenia to accept such a number of people. However, the Armenian government remained calm and made efforts to accept people. It allocated funds for it, which is respectable. You opened your heart to people," Baerbock said.
At the same time, she emphasized that starting from 2022, Germany has provided serious assistance to Armenia. At the same time, she said that to the assistance already provided, the German government will add another 9.3 million euros in humanitarian assistance to overcome current challenges.
"We want to create conditions for achieving peace between Yerevan and Baku through peaceful negotiations. Germany defends the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is the basis for negotiations. Many difficult questions arise about borders, including on the basis of which maps to draw delimitation. This is a big task for Armenia and Azerbaijan, to find a solution that will be a ray of hope for people who want to live in peace," the head of the foreign policy department added.
At the same time, she emphasized that the EU has played the role of a neutral mediator for many years. In this regard, she expressed her conviction that the efforts of President of the European Council, Charles Michel, can become a bridge to achieve peace.
"Therefore, it is necessary to resume negotiations," the minister emphasized.
Annalena Baerbock also touched upon the activities of the EU civil mission in the Republic of Armenia, speaking out for its strengthening and expansion. "Through the mission, we are trying to provide direct assistance to Armenia, to achieve stability and trust. The EU, through this mission, acts as a neutral mediator here in Armenia, and the mission should be for the benefit of Azerbaijan," the German Foreign Minister noted.
She also announced her intention to visit the peacekeeping brigade. Regarding bilateral relations, she stressed the importance of strengthening contacts between people, and expressed Germany's readiness to assist Armenia on the path of democratic reforms. "We also want to promote communication between the residents of the two countries. For example, the Goethe University stated that the Goethe Center operating in Yerevan will become an University in the future. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to work towards signing an agreement in the field of culture," Baerbock concluded.