11
10, 2010

An official dinner in honor of the President of Slovenia Danilo Türk and Mrs. Barbara Miklic Türk

album picture
album picture
album picture
Today, in honor of the President of Slovenia Danilo Türk and Mrs. Barbara Miklic Türk, who are in Armenia on official visit, President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan gave an official dinner at the Presidential Palace. During the reception, in keeping with established protocol, the Presidents of the two countries exchanged toasts.

At the dinner in honor of the President of Slovenia and his spouse, along with the Presidents of Armenia and Slovenia and their spouses, present were also members of the official delegations of the two countries, representatives of social, political, culture and business circles.

Welcoming President Türk and his spouse in the Republic of Armenia, President Serzh Sargsyan said that visit of the President of Slovenia to Armenia testifies to the genuine mutual interest of the two countries to develop bilateral cooperation and raise it to a new level.

Speaking about numerous similarities between Armenia and Slovenia, President Sargsyan said that first of all the two nations are united by comparable destinies, which were full of many upheavals, long periods of statelessness, struggles to preserve national identity and finally, by achieving independence through same geopolitical process of modern history.

Speaking about Armenia’s adherence to European values, President Sargsyan said, “The Armenia-EU relations have indeed undergone qualitative changes and are developing dynamically, becoming more structured. The negotiations on Association Agreement have already commenced, work is underway on the draft of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. I am confident that Slovenia, as a country which passed the road leading to EU membership, can be extremely helpful in addressing these issues.”

Highlighting the importance of maintaining regional peace and security, the President of Armenia said that intricate geopolitical milieu of the region, economic blockades and ongoing conflicts obstruct our full-scale development. President Sargsyan noted with satisfaction that Slovenia was able to overcome the problems with the neighbors in a civilized manner, with clear apprehension that neighbors have to live side by side. According to Serzh Sargsyan, regional cooperation is the best tool for combining capabilities and creating potential for common progress.

President Sargsyan concluded his speech by raising toast to the President of Slovenia and Mrs. Türk, wishing prosperity to Slovenia and the Slovenian people and for the glory of the Armenian-Slovenian cooperation.

The President of Slovenia expressed thanks for warm and cordial reception and noted that he was greatly honored and pleased to be the first Slovenian President who visited Armenia. “This is a great event in our bilateral relations, and I hope that it will enhance our cooperation and will become a basis for new achievements in different areas of our cooperation,” President Türk said in his remarks.

Speaking about historical similarities of the Armenian and Slovenian nations, President Türk said, “During our history the two peoples went through many hardships and suffered under the foreign yoke, but we were able to preserve strong national identity, cherishing our language and culture.”

The President of Slovenia expressed confidence that there are all necessary prerequisites for a more efficient bilateral cooperation not only in the areas of mutual interest but also for conducting a more deepened dialogue in international organizations.

According to President Türk, as a country which is situated in the interesting geographical location and has untapped economic potential, Armenia is very appealing for the EU. “As an EU member, Slovenia actively participates in the development of initiatives such as Eastern Partnership and supports their implementation. We anticipate that through the extended political cooperation and a higher level of economic integration, on the next stage the Association Agreement between Armenia and EU will reflect true interests of the parties. Slovenia is always ready to assist her Armenian friends in the enhancement of the EU-Armenia relations,” stressed the President of Slovenia.

President Türk concluded his toast by wishing development and prosperity to Armenia and expressing good wishes for the development of warm and friendly relations between the two countries.

← Back to list