Dutch Prime Minister Congratulates Nikol Pashinyan

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte sent a congratulatory message to acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the occasion of his victory in the early parliamentary elections. This was reported by the Prime Minister's office.

The congratulatory message states, in particular, that "holding free and competitive parliamentary elections is a testament to Armenia's commitment to continue along the path of democracy following the Velvet Revolution. The ongoing reforms and democratic transformations in Armenia have not gone unnoticed. I sincerely hope that you will continue to implement these important reforms despite the adverse security environment. With an expectation of continued cooperation, I am confident that together we can successfully contribute to the deepening of the close partnership between Armenia and the Netherlands. As a country committed to the principles of democracy and good governance, the Netherlands will continue to support Armenia in its reforms, particularly in the areas of democratization and the rule of law. We will strengthen economic cooperation, particularly in agriculture and the IT sector.

I greatly value our cooperation within the framework of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and look forward to an effective Eastern Partnership summit later this year. I also highly appreciate our close collaboration within the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Unfortunately, we had to postpone your planned visit to the Netherlands in April of this year due to the pandemic affecting both our countries. I sincerely hope that 2022 will be more favorable in this regard, and I look forward to welcoming you to the Netherlands in 2022 to celebrate the successes of our thirty years of diplomatic relations.

I wish you every success in addressing the challenges facing Armenia for the benefit of the Armenian people."