During his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway, RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a private meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide at the Government Guest House on February 7.

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Norway continued the discussion in an expanded format, with delegations from both countries participating.

They made brief statements to the press after the bilateral meeting in Oslo.

Ararat Mirzoyan: “Thank you, Honorable Minister, for our good and meaningful conversation this morning. You have my invitation to visit my country, Armenia, at any time convenient.

Armenia is interested in deepening bilateral relations with Norway. Armenia highly appreciates Norway’s continued support for its development agenda. Norway has always shown interest in regional issues in the South Caucasus.

Today, I had the opportunity to present the developments in our region and assure you that Armenia is committed to the peace agenda and making every effort to establish sustainable peace in the area and open a new era of peace in the South Caucasus.

Armenia also values cooperation with Nordic-Baltic countries, including Norway. We are pleased that these countries demonstrate mutual interest.

We are determined to explore new horizons in relations, and we welcome the fact that the Norwegian side also widely shares this approach.”

Espen Barth Eide: “I am thrilled to welcome my good friend and colleague, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, here in Oslo. We have excellent relations with Armenia, the Armenian people, and this government.

This government has demonstrated clear strategic leadership for the country, benefiting its people. We boldly look forward to Europe in challenging circumstances and strive for closer cooperation. We are delighted to be partners on that path.

I told my good friend and colleague that Norway will remain a loyal friend of Armenia and your European aspirations in all circumstances. We specifically talked about how we can support in a bilateral format but also within the framework of the Nordic-Baltic group, sharing our experience and seeing how we can assist in different aspects of that path, which is essential for Armenia but also crucial for all of Europe, at a time of significant changes taking place on our continent. Thank you.”