President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrived on a two-day visit on Tuesday during which bilateral agreements were signed with Cyprus officials, and he will be the keynote speaker at a lecture at the University of Cyprus on Wednesday.
Sargsyan, who was received by President Anastasiades and attended a banquet where former President George Vassiliou and Demetris Christofias were also present, reasserted his country’s support to a just solution to the Cyprus issue on the basis of UN resolutions.
In statements after the meeting with President Anastasiades and the expanded talks between the delegations of the two countries, the President of Armenia expressed the hope that the efforts of President Anastasiades in Cyprus in solving the Cyprus issue, will be completed successfully.
Sargsyan said that the friendship between Armenia and Cyprus is strong and that the two countries not only have historical and cultural similarities but also universal values on which, he said, "we will build the future."
"We talked about the developments that open up new avenues in expanding our economic relations. This includes the fact that the economy of Cyprus is now able to contribute, within the framework of the Eurasian economic cooperation, relations with the EU and the new situation created after the lifting of sanctions on Iran, allowing for new opportunities and possibilities", said the President of Armenia.
On his part, President Anastasiades praised the excellent bilateral relations and good cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia.
He noted that during the meeting they exchanged views on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and on Nagorno Karabakh.
They both underlined the significance of the armenian community in Cyprus.
"Our Armenian compatriots are an important link between the two countries," President Anastasiades remarked.
He also referred to the unanimous decision of the Cyprus House of Representatives to criminalise denial of the Armenian Genocide, noting that Cyprus was the first country in 1982 to recognise the Armenian genocide. Anastasiades attended the Genocide centennial event in Yerevan last April.
Sargsyan will also visit the Nareg Armenian elementary school and meet with community representatives.
The Ministers of Education and Culture of the two countries signed an agreement on mutual recognition of diplomas, a cooperation programme in the areas of education and science and a cooperation programme in the field of culture.
Before arriving in Cyprus, Sargsyan was visiting Greece where he had similar meetings with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and other government officials.
