During his working visit to New York, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan met with Iraqi President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, the Armenian president’s office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

During the meeting, the agenda of Armenia-Iraq bilateral relations was discussed. Both parties emphasized the need for the dynamic development of Armenian-Iraqi relations and the deepening of political dialogue and practical cooperation based on mutual interest.

Also, they attached importance to the expansion of bilateral economic cooperation, especially in trade, investments, and other sectors of mutual interest. In this context, the need to launch direct flights between Yerevan and Baghdad was stressed as an important tool for promoting political, economic, and tourism ties between Armenia and Iraq.

 The interlocutors positively assessed the recent Armenian-Iraqi business forum, and stressed the importance of continuously promoting such initiatives.

The meeting touched also upon regional developments and the general situation. In particular, special emphasis was placed on the work carried out to establish lasting and stable peace in the context of the situation created after the initialing of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8, the prospects for implementing the Crossroads of Peace project of Armenia in this context, and the importance of realizing the existing potential for regional mutual benefit.

During the conversation, the two presidents underscored as well the development of further cooperation between Armenia and Iraq in education. In this connection, President Khachaturyan noted that the opening of a Hospitality Business School branch in Gyumri, Armenia, could become a good opportunity for Iraqi students also, as it will stimulate the intensification of student exchange programs.