Italy wants "drastic" steps to increase trade turnover with Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday, April 3 met with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio who stressed his country's interest in expanding and strengthening cooperation with Armenia, including in the economic sphere.

According to a statement from Pashinyan's office, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation emphasized the need to take drastic steps to increase trade turnover and implement joint investment programs.

Both sides considered the development of cooperation in the fields of energy, information technologies, education and other fields promising.

The two also discussed issues related to the situation in the South Caucasus.

Pashinyan presented his observations on the processes taking place around Nagorno-Karabakh and stressed the need for an adequate reaction of the international community to the provocative actions carried out by Azerbaijan. He stressed the need for a comprehensive settlement of the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group, emphasizing the importance of clarifying the status of Artsakh, ensuring security and protecting the fundamental rights of the Armenians of Artsakh.

Di Maio, meanwhile, expressed Italy's support for the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the President of the European Council Charles Michel, aimed at resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, establishing stability and peace in the South Caucasus. The Italian Minister also welcomed the dialogue between Armenia and Turkey aimed at normalization of relations.

Pashinyan is expected to meet with Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels on April 6.