ANTALYA, Türkiye, April 17. Armenia interested
in developing economic and energy ties in the South Caucasus, Vahan
Kostanyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, said during a panel
discussion at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Trend’s special correspondent
reports.
According to him, building lasting peace requires continuous and
institutionalized efforts.
“Building stability and peace requires constant, everyday
efforts. Peace is not something that is achieved once—it must be
continuously maintained and institutionalized,” he said.
Kostanyan noted that Armenia also attaches importance to
expanding economic ties in the region.
“We have already started trade with Azerbaijan and hope that in
the near future Armenia will also begin exporting goods to
Azerbaijan,” he said.
He emphasized that energy security and regional connectivity are
key areas for potential cooperation.
“Energy security is an important component of potential
cooperation not only bilaterally but also at the regional level. We
are interested in diversifying energy supply sources and
positioning ourselves as a transit hub for energy resources coming
from Central Asia and Azerbaijan to Europe,” he noted.
Kostanyan also said Armenia is engaged in major infrastructure
projects with the United States.
“We are implementing three major projects with our US partners,
including railways, roads, as well as energy grids and pipelines,”
he said.
He underlined the importance of renewable energy development and
cooperation with the European Union.
“Armenia is one of the leading producers of green energy in the
South Caucasus. We are also planning to develop a new nuclear power
plant and are expanding cooperation with the European Union,” he
said.
According to him, the European direction is strategically
important.
“Cooperation with the EU is crucial for us and reflects the
European aspirations of the Armenian people. In this context,
Georgia’s European future is also very important for Armenia,”
Kostanyan added.
