Avinyan Discusses Issues of Prisoners of War Return with Nicholas Schermers

On February 3, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan received Nicholas Schermers, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Armenia. The press office of the Deputy Prime Minister released a statement on this meeting.

Welcoming his guest, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of opening the Dutch embassy in Yerevan and praised Ambassador Schermers for his personal contribution to the development of bilateral relations.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Ambassador Schermers highlighted his readiness to spare no effort to strengthen and deepen Armenian-Dutch relations.

The parties discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the situation formed as a result of Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, with a detailed focus on the issue of the return of prisoners of war. The Deputy Prime Minister presented the current phase of the prisoner exchange process, considering it a priority for the Armenian government. He thanked the Dutch Parliament for its stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and for adopting a resolution on providing humanitarian assistance to the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The agenda of the meeting also included issues related to Armenian-Dutch economic cooperation and Armenia's economic reforms. The Deputy Prime Minister outlined the measures undertaken by the Armenian government to restore economic life.

Tigran Avinyan spoke about Armenia's intention to develop economic diplomacy, which should focus on attracting foreign investments, developing high-tech industries, and cooperation in the fields of innovation and science. In this context, the development of Armenian-Dutch trade and economic relations in agriculture, information technologies, finance, and other sectors was emphasized.

At the same time, both sides appreciated the effective cooperation between the two countries within international financial institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.