YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Tuesday received High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenian News-NEWS.am that Nalbandian said this is Mogherini’s first visit to Armenia, and that this will have a positive impact on the development of Armenia-EU relations.

Federica Mogherini, for her part, stated that the establishment of a stronger EU-Armenia partnership will be beneficial for bilateral relations and the entire region.

At the ensuing talk, they reflected on the avenues for the development of Armenia-EU collaboration and relations. FM Nalbandian reaffirmed Armenia’s readiness to expand comprehensive cooperation, and noted that his country is thankful to the EU for its support and assistance.

Also, the interlocutors exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, especially in Syria. In this connection, Nalbandian noted that around 20 thousand refugees from Syria have found shelter in Armenia, and the latter is the third among European countries that have accepted the most number of Syrian refugees, in terms of population ratio.

In addition, Edward Nalbandian presented the latest developments in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks being conducted within the framework of the Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In this context, Federica Mogherini reaffirmed the EU support to the Minsk Group co-chairs’ efforts to pacifically resolve the Karabakh conflict.