President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan met with President Sergio Mattarella at the President of the Republic of Italy residence.
Welcoming the deputy, the President of Italy specifically noted: "It is a great honor for me and the Italian people to host you today. Your visit is a good opportunity to celebrate the centuries-old friendship between our peoples, to strengthen the close relations between our countries further."
Expressing his gratitude for the reception, President Vahagn Khachaturyan emphasized that Armenian-Italian relations have a long history. "We have always felt Italy and the Italian spirit in Armenia and Yerevan. I am happy to report that we are able to maintain the high level of our relations on political, economic and cultural platforms. We highly appreciate the close cooperation between Armenia and Italy both on bilateral and European Union platforms," the President said.
During the meeting, a wide range of issues related to expanding existing cooperation in the fields of mutual interest for Armenia and Italy and the possibilities of implementing new joint projects were discussed. Reference was made to promoting compelling commercial, economic, construction, and high-tech interaction. President Mattarella noted that recently he noticed the growing interest of Italian business people in Armenia.
Regarding the growth of foreign businesses' interest in the Armenian economy, President Vahagn Khachaturyan emphasized that this is mainly due to the reforms made in Armenia in recent years, both in social-political and economic life. The President noted that due to the reforms and legislative changes implemented by the government, the Armenian economy has become more attractive for investments.
"We are moving on the path of democracy also in the field of economy, we have no other resources and after independence, democracy is one of our most important achievements, and it is the processes of democratization, the fight against systemic corruption that contributed to making Armenia's investment environment attractive for foreign investors," the President said.
During the conversation, the President of the Republic presented his counterpart with details about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the general realities and developments in the South Caucasus region. President Khachaturyan emphasized that regardless of the difficulties, Armenia is firm in its position to achieve stable and lasting peace in the area and to establish neighborly relations with its neighbors.
In response, President Mattarella noted that he highly appreciates Armenia's bold steps to establish peace and is ready to contribute to efforts to establish peace in the South Caucasus region.
During the meeting, ideas were exchanged regarding the possibilities of continuously promoting cooperation between Armenia and Italy in education, science, healthcare, culture, and tourism. The existence of direct flights between Armenia and Italy was emphasized on both sides, which is an excellent opportunity for the development of tourism.
