Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili today participated in the official launch of the Armenian-Georgian Friendship Bridge at the Bagratashen-Sadakhlo checkpoint on the interstate border of Armenia and Georgia. The ceremony was also attended by members of the government of both countries, particularly from the Armenian side: Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, Minister of Territorial Administration, and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan and others.

Prime Minister Pashinyan delivered a speech in which he specifically stated:

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Garibashvili,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad to welcome all of you to the launch event of this bridge, which heralds the close and multi-faceted Armenian-Georgian partnership cooperation.

Undoubtedly, the centuries-old ties of our two brother countries, anchored on shared values ​​and historical heritage, need such modern and essential up-to-date infrastructure, which creates a solid foundation for our future extensive cooperation.

I am more than convinced that today all the necessary prerequisites are in place to develop and deepen the relations with brother Georgia, following the essential priorities of the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia.

Dear attendees,

In the current complex challenges, outstanding growth has been recorded in the Armenian-Georgian trade and economic relations. I was pleasantly surprised today to report that we have a 97 percent increase in trade turnover compared to last year's period. Of course, in the previous years, the post-covid year, the base was not so extensive. Still, in any case, this is a very impressive indicator, which, I think, is the result of the implementation of joint and continuous, continuous, and consistent work. Against the background of our intensive relationship, when we look back at the numbers and see such positive trends, it certainly motivates us to try to make our intensive relationship even more intense.

Armenian-Georgian trade and economic relations have the most significant potential, and this is exactly what I mean, that we should be able to use this potential with our work. There are profound opportunities for deepening cooperation in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information and communication, transport, energy, tourism, and other fields. Communication channels are of crucial importance for the development of trade and economic relations, which provide an opportunity to integrate into the world economy and to establish and provide vital connections at the national, regional, and international levels.

The priority of the transport sector of our bilateral cooperation and cooperation in several international transport structures enable us to take realistic steps not only for the Persian Gulf-Black Sea international transport corridor but also for other initiatives that provide a nodal link in the transport sector. I fully hope that the involvement of other interested parties, who have already shown interest, will contribute to the regional perspective cooperation through the implementation of more active works and the coordination and implementation of the agreements reached.

I should note with satisfaction that regular passenger transportation between Armenia and Georgia is carried out by land and air. As for cargo transportation, it is necessary to make additional efforts and carry out continuous joint work to ensure more effortless movement. In this context, I would also like to emphasize the importance of railway transport cooperation and the expansion of multimodal, in particular, ferry transportation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

For Armenia, Georgia, as a transit country, has a significant role in a reliable and safe supply of energy resources, communication, and telecommunications. There is a lot of practical cooperation experience in the field of energy. As mentioned, daily and consistent work to ensure cyber security should be carried out by relevant departments and structures.

It is necessary to develop cross-border cooperation between the two countries, which was noticeably beneficial in implementing preventive actions, especially during the epidemic.

Our two countries need to expand cooperation in the cultural and humanitarian spheres. We must continue to make efforts in tourism by simultaneously offering joint tourist packages for visitors to Armenia and Georgia.

Referring to the inter-regional and decentralized cooperation between Armenia and Georgia, I must mention that it has enormous development opportunities. The involvement of international structures in various cross-border cooperation programs should be considered.

No less critical in the fields of environmental protection, work, and employment, education and science, sports and youth