Working visit of Jean Asselborn to Armenia

The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, made a working visit to the Republic of Armenia on 22 and 23 February.

  1. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

  2. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

  3. ©MFA Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

  4. ©MFA Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

  5. ©MFA Armenia

    Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

    Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs

  6. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs ; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

  7. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia

  8. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Vahagn Khachaturyan, President of the Republic of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Vahagn Khachaturyan, President of the Republic of Armenia

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    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

  10. ©MAEE

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

  11. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Alen Simonyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Alen Simonyan, President of the National Assembly of Armenia

  12. ©MAEE

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

  13. ©MAEE

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

  14. ©MAEE

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

    Minister Asselborn meets with representatives of NGOs and civil society

  15. ©MAEE

    Visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial

    Visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial

  16. ©MAEE

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

    (fr. l. to r.) Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

In Yerevan, the head of Luxembourg's diplomacy was received in audience by the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, and had bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ararat Mirzoyan, the President of the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, as well as the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan.

The visit thus enabled bilateral relations between Armenia and Luxembourg to be strengthened. In this context, Minister Asselborn informed his interlocutors of Luxembourg's decision to establish a non-resident diplomatic representation in Armenia by accrediting a non-resident ambassador, which will allow for the further strengthening of relations in the political, economic and cultural fields.

Recent regional and international developments were also on the agenda, including the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, launched by President Putin a year ago, and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Minister expressed deep concern at the worrying humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh caused by the blockade of the Latchin Corridor. In this context, the Minister reiterated his call on the Azeri authorities to lift the blockade of the corridor and to ensure freedom of movement in both directions along the corridor. The International Court of Justice confirmed this need on 22 February 2023 by ordering Azerbaijan to ensure "the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and goods along the corridor". For its part, Russia must fulfil its responsibilities under the Trilateral Declaration to restore the free movement of people and goods.

The Minister also underlined Luxembourg's full support for the establishment of an EU mission in Armenia (EUMA), the launch of which was decided at the last Foreign Affairs Council and which is a proof of the commitment of the EU and its Member States to peace and stability in the region. Discussions showed that the establishment of the mission, in which Luxembourg will participate by sending a police commissioner, is highly appreciated by the Armenian authorities and population. Indeed, the mission aims to help reduce the number of incidents in the conflict and border areas of Armenia, to reduce the level of risk to the population living there, and thus to contribute to the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Minister Asselborn and his interlocutors also discussed the Russian war against Ukraine, which is a serious violation of international law and whose negative consequences are being felt by many countries around the world. In this context, Minister Asselborn also stressed the importance of not allowing the sanctions to be circumvented, as they are intended to deprive the Russian regime of the means to continue this senseless war and thus to persuade Moscow to end its aggression.

Minister Asselborn took the opportunity of his visit to meet with actors of Armenian civil society, in particular NGOs active in the field of human rights and democracy, as well as young representatives of the "EU Young Ambassadors". These meetings enabled the Minister to have a constructive exchange on issues related to the rule of law, human rights and gender equality in Armenia.

The head of Luxembourg's diplomacy also visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Finally, Jean Asselborn was awarded the "Mkhitar Gosh Medal", Armenia's highest honour, by the President of the Republic, Vahagn Khachaturyan. "This is proof of the friendship between our two countries," said the Minister when he received the medal.

Press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

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