On August 27 the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian received the Italian delegation led by Marta Dassù, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Welcoming the guest, Edward Nalbandian mentioned that the Armenian-Italian friendly relations have a centuries-old history and serve as a solid basis for launching efficient and multilateral cooperation. Minister Nalbandian stressed with satisfaction the recently deepening and development of bilateral cooperation in various spheres. Expressing gratitude for the reception, Marta Dassù said that she is pleased to visit Yerevan to discuss the steps to be undertaken towards the further development of bilateral relations. Minister Nalbandian and Under-Secretary Dassù stressed the importance of recently paid visit of the RA President to Italy and the agreements reached during that visit. In the course of the meeting the sides touched upon the role of parliamentary diplomacy in development of the Armenian-Italian relations. The sides discussed the possibilities of the cooperation in the spheres of trade and economy, science, culture and tourism, as well. Edward Nalbandian and Marta Dassù stressed the importance of the role of decentralized cooperation in bilateral relations. In the course of the meeting, the current stage of Armenia-EU cooperation and upcoming developments in that sphere were discussed. The Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the Italian Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the recent developments in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Minister Nalbandian and Under-Secretary Dassù discussed a number of issues related to regional and international agenda.

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