Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, hosted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Budenbender, who are in Armenia on an official visit, at the government of Armenia.

The Armenian prime minister and the German president met in expanded formats. Anna Hakobyan and Elke Budenbender also had a private meeting, the PM’s office informs.

Pashinyan welcomed Steinmeier’s visit to Armenia, and noted that it is historic, as it is the first visit by the German president to Armenia. The premier emphasized that Armenia and Germany have active and deepening cooperation. In this regard, the head of state stressed Germany’s support for the democratic reform agenda of the Armenian government, and thanked Frank-Walter Steinmeier for his personal efforts in that regard.

In turn, the German president noted that his country attaches importance to the deepening of multi-sectoral cooperation with Armenia. Steinmeier considered cooperation in economy, investment, infrastructure development, energy, tourism, education, and culture to be promising. Also, the German president expressed his country's support for the development of Armenia-EU cooperation and the effective implementation of the Armenian government's reform agenda.

Subsequently, the interlocutors emphasized the need to realize the great potential for consistent development and deepening of bilateral relations, which can also be facilitated by the intensification of human contacts. In this context, Prime Minister Pashinyan underscored the importance of Armenia’s dialogue with the EU on visa liberalization.

The discussion touched also upon the agreement on the text of the draft agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Armenian premier and the German president emphasized the importance of signing this agreement in order to ensure peace and stability in the South Caucasus. Also, Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed Germany's support for the peace agenda of the Armenian government.

Views were exchanged also on the Armenian government's Crossroads of Peace project, and some other matters of mutual interest.