Tuesday, January 9 2024 14:48

ArmInfo. "The highest goal of Armenia's foreign policy is to ensure the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Armenia," Premier Nikol Pashinyan stated  after listening the 2023 report by the RA Ministry of Foreign  Affairs. 

According to the Prime Minister's press service, Foreign Minister  Ararat Mirzoyan and his deputies presented to the head of the Cabinet  the work carried out in the areas of their coordination, plans and  priorities for the current and next year.

The measures, achievements and steps taken to overcome the challenges  in 2023 were detailed. In particular, the actions of the Ministry of  Foreign Affairs during the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the  ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijan against the people of  Nagorno-Karabakh, the September military aggression, as well as  issues of interaction with international partners in this direction  were reviewed.

Efforts and processes aimed at ensuring stability and peace in the  South Caucasus were mentioned.  The Prime Minister of the Republic of  Armenia was presented with the steps taken to strengthen cooperation  with partner countries at the bilateral level. In this context,  mention was made of visits and contacts that gave new charge and  content to the development of the agenda, bilateral and multilateral  platforms with the relevant countries. It was recorded that during  the year 34 visits of high-ranking officials were made to the  Republic of Armenia, 68 visits of high-ranking officials from the  Republic of Armenia, of which 40 were the Minister of Foreign  Affairs.

Pashinyan was presented with works and results in the field of  international peace and security, development cooperation, protection  of human rights, expansion of multilateral cultural cooperation, as  well as promotion of RA candidates in various structures.

Among other initiatives, work carried out to popularize the  "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by the RA government was also  presented, including through about 2,500 publications in the  international press.

The international events planned for 2024 and the financial costs  planned in this direction were also presented. Issues related to the  opening of new diplomatic and consular institutions of the Republic  of Armenia both in the Republic of Armenia and abroad were discussed.

Stressing the importance of strengthening the capabilities of the  diplomatic service, programs for equipping the Foreign Ministry with  diplomatic personnel, as well as training programs for foreign  diplomats at the Diplomatic School of the Republic of Armenia were  also presented. Mention was made of ongoing reforms in the Foreign  Ministry system and possible steps to increase the attractiveness of  the diplomatic service.

After the presentation of the report, an exchange of ideas took  place. Further plans and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  were outlined in several areas.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the importance of the constant  development of the diplomatic service in accordance with modern world  trends. Pashinyan also emphasized the need to make maximum use of the  economic component of foreign policy and gave instructions to  responsible persons.