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About 16 billion 617 million AMD are designed to allocate on 2024 state budget for the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which 504 million AMD more than the allocation of the current year. The means will be directed to the implementation of 5 programmes. The Minister of Finance Vahe Hovhannisyan said this at the joint sitting of the Standing Committees on Foreign Relations and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs on November 3.

The Committees discussed the budgetary programmes and financial allocations of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the issue of payments designed to the RA international organizations.

The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs inquired how much the budgetary preliminary bid of the Foreign Ministry was.

In response, it was noted that the Foreign Ministry preliminary bid was about 1 billion AMD more, but as a result of debates and calculations jointly resulted in the allocation of 16 billion 617 million AMD.

The RA Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan first touched upon the foreign policy of our country and the relations of the regional and other countries.

Regarding the Armenia-Turkey relations, Ararat Mirzoyan expressed optimism and documented that in the near future it will be perhaps good news with regards to opening the Armenia-Turkey land border for those having diplomatic passport and the citizens of the third countries.

He assured that Armenia is concerned about at least having at least regulated relations with 4 neighbours.

This year, Armenia and Turkey reached an agreement to open the land border for the citizens of the third countries and for those with diplomatic passport before the beginning of the tourist season, that is before summer.

Ararat Mirzoyan touched upon in detail the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh (NK) by Azerbaijan and the forcible displacement of the population of Nagorno Karabakh.

Recording that at present more than 100.000 refugees are in Armenia, the Minister documented that solving their long-term needs also is on the shoulders of the Foreign Ministry and becomes the goals and problems of the Foreign Ministry.

It was noted that works are done for that purpose in operating international mechanisms.

“I can confidently claim that there is no government in the world that can accept more than 100.000 refugees without shocks and any problems and will not arise any ripples, beginning for the inner-political life up to economic, social systems,” the Head of the Ministry said.

He noted that many international partners were positively surprised by the response and organizational work of Armenia, as even tent towns were not created.

Turning to foreign policy problems, the RA Foreign Minister mentioned: “The forced migration causes big complications in the main political agenda problem – ensure sustainable security environment around the Republic of Armenia, i.e. in case of peaceful, stable, and in the best case with four neighbours of the Republic of Armenia - the peace agenda and the formation of close cooperation or friendly relations.”

Regarding the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the Foreign Minister said that they hoped that a big step will be taken to reach peace in Granada: “Unfortunately, the President of Azerbaijan did not consider convenient or purposeful to take part in that meeting. However, with the results of quadrilateral meeting in Granada, finally a document came up, which mostly reflects the bases of long-term, stable and dignified peace. That is a guideline for that peace treaty. We are led by the principles mentioned in that document, while speaking about peace.

You know that it is the 6^th round with comments or editions for exchanging or meeting and negotiating. Our guidelines have always been these. First – the mutual recognition of the territorial integrity of the two countries. Here we want to ensure concreteness and for that purpose the encyclopedic surfaces of the two countries’ territories are mentioned,” Ararat Mirzoyan documented.

The second principle is that demarcation process should take place between Armenia and Azerbaijan: “It refers to the fact that it will take place on the basis of the freshest legal, legitimate maps of the Soviet period. That is the group of maps of 1974-1988, at large on the basis of the borders been on the moment of the USSR collapse. The demarcation process should take place by my impression also as Azerbaijan perceives.

The third principle is the unblocking of the region. Armenia is not only against it, but is concerned about, Armenia considers itself one of the main beneficiaries in the unblocking of the transport, economic infrastructures of the region. All infrastructures should continue to operate under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries, through the territories of which they pass. The infrastructures should be unlocked on the basis of the principle of reciprocity and equality,” Ararat Mirzoyan stated.

According to him, in 2024 the establishment of the Crossroads of Peace will be one of the political priorities of the Foreign Ministry.

According to the Foreign Minister, there are some problems in the Armenian-Russian relations: “We

are not satisfied with many things, and we are surprised by many things.”

He noted that the Russian Federation (RF) has the same attitude towards the Republic of Armenia: “We are convinced that by what the RF partners are surprised, is a consequence of the policy that we have seen on various media broadcasts and in other places. Here, we don’t have any other position, but to discuss, to understand, to smooth out the problems in constructive way and friendly advance in that direction. This is our position,” the Foreign Minister said, expressing hope that all this will be succeeded.

Ararat Mirzoyan also noticed that here everything does not depend only on one side.

The Foreign Minister also spoke about the relations with India and China, noticed that the developments of the relations with India are public, and with China Armenia is concerned about the development of direct, unmediated partnership relations.

“We’ll continue the cooperation in many spheres with our friends, for example, France. Mutual visits of mutual high ranking officials permanently take place, the dialogue is continuous, and it will continue remaining like that. We’ll continue deepening our relations with the European Union (EU). I would like to especially underline the role of the EU Observation Mission in the border stability and security of Armenia until this moment. We disclose new platforms, new direction of cooperation with the EU. For example, the political and security dialogue. There are before obligations and commitments assumed by the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which should be realized both by us and the EU,” Ararat Mirzoyan said.

The Minister distinguished the launch of the visa liberalization dialogue: “There are guideline initiatives, you remember the statements on the 2.6 billion Euros, etc.”

The Foreign Minister also highlighted the development of the relations with the USA.

It was noted that recently the Republic of Korea informed that it is intended to establish a Resident Embassy in the first half of the next year in Yerevan. Armenia also has a wish to open a Resident diplomatic representation in Seoul. We’ll also have diplomatic representation in Luxembourg.

Afterwards the Foreign Minister referred to the budgetary programmes of the structure led by him and noted that the RA Foreign Ministry, within the framework of the authorities reserved to him, on the basis of the RA Government programme elaborates implements the RA foreign policy, as well as organizes and leads the diplomatic service in the foreign state and international structures.

It was noted that the aim of the programme Specialists’ Training in the International Relations and Diplomacy, rise of diplomatic and state service efficiency, the replenishment of diplomatic service with new and qualified specialists. 314 million AMD was designed to allocate for the implementation of the programme. The Foreign Minister emphasized the programme Elaboration and Implementation of the Government Policy in the Foreign Affairs, and 2 billion 733 million AMD will be allocated for its implementation.

About 1 billion 744 million AMD will be allocated to the programme Cooperation with International Organizations. It was noted that Armenia is a member of 110 international organziations, including the specialized bodies, programmes and conventions.

About 11 billion 639 million AMD were designed for the programme Organization and Implementation of the Activity of the RA Diplomatic Service Bodies.

187 million AMD will be allocated to the programme Implementation of Protocol Events in the Republic of Armenia and in the Foreign States.

The Head of the RA Foreign Ministry answered the MPs’ questions.

In response to the question of the deputy of the Armenia Faction Kristine Vardanyan on obtaining weapons by the RA, the Foreign Minister noted: “Armenia can obtain incomparably much more weapons and incomparably from much more countries, than your political party would dare or would dream to make such deals, go to different countries and ask,” Ararat Mirzoyan said and stated that there are logistic problems: “We could do much more and could bring much more weapons, if there weren’t logistic problems, It refers to defensive weapons, we don’t have any intention to attack, the sovereign right of every country is to obtain defensive kinds of weapons, armaments.”