In the second half of October 23 Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian arrived in Guatemala, where he had a meeting with Harold Caballeros, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala.
Welcoming the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1998, not much has been done and today he was pleased to welcome Edward Nalbandian in Guatemala City, as they agreed during the New York meeting at the end of September, and to have substantive discussion over the steps to be undertaken towards the development of bilateral relations.
Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Minister Nalbandian said that he was confident that there is a huge potential between the two countries to develop cooperation in political, economic and cultural spheres. The Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned that an Armenian Ambassador’s concurrent accreditation in Guatemala would contribute to that.
The Ministers agreed upon the creation of legal framework, holding of consultations between the MFAs of the two countries, promotion of interaction in the international organizations, establishment of business contacts and conducting of cultural exchanges.
Minister Caballeros presented the integration processes in the Central America region, current challenges and steps undertaken towards their overcoming.
In the contexts of Guatemala’s membership in the UN Security Council, the Ministers discussed current issues of international agenda.
Edward Nalbandian presented his Guatemalan counterpart the main vectors of Armenia’s foreign policy and the efforts exerted towards the solution of regional issues. On October 24 Edward Nalbandian had a meeting with Gudy Rivera Estrada, the President of the Guatemalan Congress.
Welcoming the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Guatemalan Congress said, “It is a special year for my country as according to the Mayan calendar this year symbolizes a new beginning which may be a new start for the Armenian-Guatemalan relations, as well, because since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries Minister Nalbandian is the first high-ranking Armenian official visiting Guatemala.”
The President of the Guatemalan Congress informed that a number of Congress deputies expressed intention to create a friendship group for the development of relations with the Armenian National Assembly.
Thanking for the reception, Edward Nalbandian conveyed Gudy Rivera Estrada the greetings of the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan.
During the meeting the sides exchanged views on setting up of cooperation between the two countries’ parliaments, and mutually expressed confidence that the parliamentary diplomacy would be an important link in giving a new impetus to those relations. In the frames of the Guatemala visit, Edward Nalbandian gave an extensive interview to the Guatemala City-based Notisiete TV.
