YEREVAN. - President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Thursday received EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Affairs, Carlos Moedas.

The latter has arrived in Armenia to attend the eighth non-official ministerial dialogue of the Eastern Partnership entitled ''Research, science and innovation.''

The President welcomed the guest, stressing that the spheres of education and science have always been of special significance to the Armenian people, and nowadays Armenia continues pinning hope on science on the path of its development, trying to get maximally involved in programs like those in the Eastern Partnership format, which are aimed at the development of education and science.

Sargsyan also underscored the importance of already second such meeting held in Yerevan.

He also referred to Armenia-EU relations, noting that the talks on the Armenian-EU framework agreement are actively held in partnership climate.

In terms of deepening of Armenian-EU cooperation, the President considered Armenia's membership to Horizon 2020 program this year as an important achievement. The interlocutors attached importance to the mentioned program, which is called to unite the human efforts and promote integration processes in the European Research Area.  

EU Commissioner Carlos Modeas expressed satisfaction with the fact that the ministerial dialogue held in Yerevan on Thursday, set up bases for the future. He stressed that he is impressed by the researchers, who he met today, expressing conviction that Horizon 2020 will open up new opportunities also for Armenian universities, support in shifting science from theoretical field to the applied one, as well as contribute to the development of small and medium innovative enterprises.

Reference was also made to the Armenian-Portuguese bilateral ties. Portuguese politician Carlos Moedas recalled with great respect Portuguese Armenian Calouste Gulbenkian, who, according to him, greatly contributed to the development of science, education and culture in Portugal.