Steinmeier: Europe and Germany interested in stability in the South  Caucasus

ArmInfo. Europe and Germany are interested in stability in the South Caucasus. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated this on March 31 in Yerevan at a joint  press conference with his Armenian counterpart Vahagn Khachaturyan.  "We in Germany and Europe are very interested in stability in the  South Caucasus region," Steinmeier said.

He commended the progress made in reaching  an agreement on the text  of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan and congratulated  the parties. According to the German President, the peace agreement  can pave the way for long-term peace in the region. However, he noted  that the parties have not yet reached the final point, have not  signed or ratified the agreement. "It is desirable that both sides  use this favorable moment to establish long-term and stable peace in  the South Caucasus," Steinmeier said, adding that he would also  discuss this issue at a meeting with his counterpart in Baku,  Armepress reports.

Touching upon the bilateral relations between Armenia and Germany, he  noted that he was impressed by the development of bilateral relations  in recent years. The German President spoke about regular mutual  visits and negotiations. Speaking about the cooperation between the  two countries in various fields, Steinmeier also mentioned the  potential for the future. He noted that the EU is one of the most  important trade partners for Armenia,  and Germany wants to continue  this cooperation. "In Germany, we are very pleased with Armenia's  interest in the EU and in Europe," the President said, adding that  they understand overcoming long-standing dependencies, reorienting  and overcoming dependence in the security and economic spheres  requires great courage.

The German President stressed that they hope  Armenia will succeed on  this path. He also touched upon the efforts undertaken by the  European and German sides, highlighting the work being done to  establish an EU monitoring mission to enhance the security of  Armenia's borders. "It is very gratifying to hear in Armenia what  role this civilian monitoring mission plays, especially for those  living in border communities. The presence of the mission creates a  sense of security," Steinmeier said.

In turn, Khachaturyan emphasized that Yerevan highly values Germany's  ongoing support to Armenia in advancing sustainable economic and  social development in various key areas,  such as education,  renewable energy, and infrastructure. According to him, the visit of  the German President to Armenia reaffirms the strong bond between the  two nations and underscores the significance of Armenian-German  relations. According to Khachaturyan, several mutual interests were   also discussed at the meeting, including the potential for enhancing  trade and economic relations between the two countries. "We are  pleased to acknowledge that Germany is one of Armenia's primary  trading partners, ranking first among EU countries. Yerevan highly  appreciates Germany's consistent assistance to Armenia in promoting  sustainable economic and social progress in many priority areas,  including education, renewable energy and infrastructure,"  Khachaturyan emphasized.