EAM Jaishankar meets his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan

Yerevan: External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar who is in Yerevan, Armenia on the third and last leg of visit to central Asia on Wednesday paid homage at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex. He had a warm and productive meeting with Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. They discussed a roadmap to take the bilateral cooperation forward. Both agreed on enhancing the trade, education and cultural exchanges.

The Ministers recognised the shared interests in strengthening connectivity, including the International North South Transport corridor. They briefed each other on the respective regional developments. Dr. Jaishankar said, India supports the OSCE Minsk process. He assured to cooperate closely in international organisations and multilateral forums.

The External Affairs Minister met President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan. They discussed the importance of nurturing the bonds between the two Parliamentary democracies. They spoke about bringing the people closer together through greater cooperation in different domains. Dr. Jaishankar appreciated the National Assembly President’s perspective on regional and



international issues of shared interest.

Dr. Jaishankar paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Yerevan. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also paid tributes. Together, they planted a tree of friendship. He met Indian students and Armenian friends of India in Yerevan. He appreciated the efforts made by the Government of Armenia for the welfare of Indian students.

The External Affairs Minister called on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He conveyed greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting brought out the many convergences and shared outlook of the two countries. Both sides agreed to develop a broad agenda of practical cooperation that is to the mutual benefit.

Dr. Jaishankar visited the Matenadaran library in Yerevan. In a tweet, he said, the Armenia-India connect is visible in the library. A copy of the Mahabharata in Sanskrit and first Armenian newspaper and Constitution that were published in Madras is in the library. Paintings of the Ajanta caves by noted Armenian Artist Sarkis Khachaturian is at the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.