Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze (left) with Armenia’s Edward Nalbandian

YEREVAN (ArmRadio)—Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalabandian on Friday said the Georgia’s support for efforts to a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is important.

Nalbandian was speaking at a press conference after meeting with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze, who is visiting Armenia.

“I informed my counterpart of the recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process. In this respect, Georgia’s support to the [OSCE] Minsk Group, the only format having an international mandate to act as a mediator, is important in the efforts toward reaching an exclusively peaceful solution,” he said.

Speaking of Armenian-Georgian relations, the minister also highly praised the traditionally developed firm and close friendship between the neighboring countries and peoples.

He said that the private meeting with the Georgian official was a good chance to also discuss the implementation of the agreements reached, and a range of other issues on the bilateral agenda. “The over eight dozen agreements addressing almost all the areas of taxation, and the mutual interest and willingness lay the groundwork for developing the bilateral relations. We have agreed to make the dialogue between the two Foreign Ministries more active. Also, we exchanged thoughts over the inter-governmental commission’s activities, which will be addressed at Mr Janalidze’s meeting with the prime minster.”

Janalidze also met with President Serzh Sarkisian who praised the relations and political dialogue between the two countries based on traditional good-neighborly relations and friendship between the two nations.

Jenlidze laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial monument

The parties agreed that despite being part of different integration processes, Armenia and Georgia have a huge potential to exchange experience and implement joint programs. This is referring to Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, which does not include Georgia as a member.

The Georgian Foreign Minister said, in turn, there are good prospects for developing the bilateral economic cooperation parallel to the political relations.

The two leaders attached importance to the balanced policy of the two countries on sensitive issues and the effective Armenian-Georgian cooperation within the framework of international organizations.

During the meeting reference was made to regional security, the existing problems and challenges, the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Janelidze visited the Dzidzernagapert Memorial. The Foreign Minister laid a wreath at the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims and paid tribute to their memory with a minute of silence.

Deputy Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute Suren Manukyan briefed Minister Janelidze on the tragic episodes of the Armenian Genocide, the history of construction and the architecture of the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial.

Suren Manukyan accompanied the Georgian Foreign Minister to the Memory Wall to introduce him to the humanitarian pages of the Armenian Genocide history.

Jars with soil taken from the graves of public and political figures, witnesses of the Armenian Genocide and friends of the Armenian people, are buried behind the Memory Wall.

The AGMI Deputy Director gifted some English and French publications to Mikheil Janelidze.