RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan received Nicholas Jacob Schermers, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to RA.

Artur Martirosyan, deputy minister of MESCS, was also present at the meeting.

Zhanna Andreasyan welcomed Ambassador Schermers and emphasized the friendly cooperation between the Republic of Armenia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, expressing readiness to take necessary steps towards its development and expansion.

"To ensure the continuous development of bilateral relations, we will be happy to develop and expand the opportunities to implement joint programs in the fields of education, science, culture, youth, and sports," Zhanna Andreasyan said.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Armenia, Nicholas Jacob Schermers, thanked for the reception, highlighting the opportunities for cooperation with Armenia.

The parties emphasized the potential for cooperation, especially in education. The minister of MESCS proposed to consider, in particular, the possibility of ensuring the development of inter-university cooperation within the framework of friendly cooperation between Armenia and the Netherlands through the implementation of joint educational and research programs and student and professor exchange programs. It was also discussed in the field of science and research, including in the format of "Horizon Europe" and "Erasmus+" cooperation.

Zhanna Andreasyan also informed that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology carries out consistent work in teaching Armenian and Armenological subjects in universities, museum institutes, and centers of foreign countries, as well as promoting Armenological research. Accordingly, around a dozen Armenian studies centers operating abroad receive funding from the RA state budget.

In the cultural sphere, Zhanna Andreasyan expressed readiness to deepen cooperation in culture and creativity. In particular, the minister proposed to consider the possibility of carrying out cultural events on the cultural platforms of the Netherlands in connection with the 120th anniversary of Aram Khachatryan's birth. J. Andreasyan informed the ambassador that as part of the anniversary events of the famous Armenian composer's birthday, Armenian orchestras are scheduled to tour several foreign countries.

According to Nikolas Jacob Schermers, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Armenia, Armenia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have several cultural commonalities that can become an occasion for educational and cultural programs.

Regarding the prospects of cooperation in sports, the minister informed the ambassador that the RA government is taking steps to highlight Armenia's position on the world sports map. "We will be happy to see the representatives of the Netherlands at the international tournaments planned in Yerevan. We can also consider the organization of joint training sessions and seminars."

Ambassador Schermers reported that the Dutch team participated in the European adult boxing championship held in Yerevan in May 2022. the upcoming tournaments will also have participants.

Zhanna Andreasyan offered to consider implementing joint camps, Olympics, and other exchange programs among the two countries youth.

The minister of MESCS drew the ambassador's attention to the issue of the humanitarian crisis established in Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed hope that the international structures will take appropriate actions and steps toward resolving the problem. He emphasized that several fundamental rights of about 120,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, including 30,000 children, were violated due to the humanitarian crisis.

The parties also discussed other issues of mutual interest.