Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia on Tuesday received Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions of Belgium, Armenian News-NEWS.am learns from the PM's office.

The PM attached importance to Lahbib's visit to Armenia and expressed confidence that it will give a new impetus to the further development and strengthening of Armenian-Belgian relations. Also, Pashinyan welcomed the decision of the Belgian government to open an embassy in Armenia, which, according to him, will contribute to the expansion of cooperation not only in the political, but also in the economic and cultural domains.

As per Hadja Lahbib, despite the intense bilateral relations, the visit of a Belgian FM to Armenia has not taken place in the last 8 years, and the purpose of her visit is to give new boost to Armenian-Belgian relations, including in economy and investments. She added that there is a great interest among Belgian businessmen to implement investment projects and deepen business ties in Armenia.

The interlocutors reflected on the developments taking place in the region, in particular, the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of the ongoing illegal blockage of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan. The Armenian premier emphasized that the purpose of Azerbaijan's actions is to carry out Armenian ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan highlighted the emergency meeting recently held at the UN Security Council regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the targeted reaction by international partners to Azerbaijan's  actions. The PM stressed the need to take active steps to change Azerbaijan's way of working. At the same time, Nikol Pashinyan underscored the need for consistency in the implementation of the agreements reached so far in the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels.

The Belgian FM, in turn, emphasized her country's support for the position of the European Union, according to which Azerbaijan must ensure the uninhibited movement of people and goods through the Lachin corridor and implement the decision made by the UN International Court of Justice.