Updated at 07.00 on 31 May
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was given a warm welcome by the Armenian community in Tbilisi on Wednesday, as he continued with his two day official visit to Georgia.
After a series of meetings with Georgian leaders, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Khojivank pantheon, where he laid flowers at the tombs of Hovhannes Tumanyan, Raffi and Gabriel Sundukyan in tribute of their memory. T
Nikol Pashinyan thanked the Georgian Armenians for their warm welcome and noted that he was happy to see them in high spirits. He said:
"The victory that our people recorded in Yerevan is yours; you are the full beneficiary of that victory because it happened in your homeland. We have felt your support; your good wishes got through to Republic Square, and the national enthusiasm that dominates the Armenian people has been forged by each of you, your willpower, your love and solidarity. The revolution that took place in Yerevan is called revolution of love and solidarity, and today I have come here with a message of love and solidarity. I want to tell you that I love all of you, all of you together and individually. I am proud of you, I take pride in your will, I am proud to see you proud of being Armenian, proud of seeing the good relationship between Armenia and Georgia, proud of being convinced that the relations between our countries will gradually grow deeper and stronger, Armenians shall feel better in Georgia and Georgians in Armenia. Today, the most precious thing that the Armenian and Georgian people have are their statehood and independence; we will defend our sovereignty; we will defend our homeland and our people's right to be happy."
The Armenian Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan, is in Georgia for what are being billed as important discussions on the future relations between the two countries. Pashinyan emphasised the importance of relations with Georgia while he was leading street protests in Yerevan earlier this month. His visit to Tbilisi is the first bilateral visit to a foreign country, although he was in Sochi earlier in May for a summit of the Eurasian Union.
Nikol Pashinyan is holding a series of meetings with Georgian leaders. Pashinyan empahsised the importance of inter-parliamentary meetings as a way of strengthening Georgian-Armenian relations when he met with the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze
Chairman of Georgian Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze welcoming Armenian PM Pashinyan
related content: Opinion: Pashinyan's timely visit to Georgia
On his arrival in Tbilisi Pashinyan was welcomed by Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili. The two prime ministers together with their respective delegations after holding a tete-a-tete discussion.
Nikol Pashinian and Giorgi Kvirikashvili meeting in Tbilisi on 30 May 2018.
In opening remarks, Pashinyan said "Our people are deeply connected and the connection is indivisible. It is not a coincidence that my first official visit took place in Georgia. This reveals not only my people's attitude to Georgia, but also my personal attitude to the Georgian people and the country".
(This story will be updated throughout the day)
source: commonspace.eu
photo: Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan meeting members of the Armenian community of Georgia in Tbilisi on 30 May
