1. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will pay an official visit to the Republic of Korea on February 22-23 at the invitation of his ROK counterpart Kim Sung-Hwan on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of ROK-Armenia diplomatic relations.

2. Minister Kim will hold a meeting and official luncheon with Minister Nalbandian on February 23 to discuss ways to increase substantive cooperation in economy, trade, development and cultural exchanges, and on the international stage; and exchange a wide range of views on other matters of mutual concern, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Caucasus.

3. In the meeting, the two Ministers will exchange celebratory messages for the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations from their respective leaders and sign a bilateral agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders.

* The ROK and Armenia forged diplomatic relations on February 21, 1992.

4. During his visit to the ROK, the Armenian Foreign Minister also plans to pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, meet with members of the National Assembly’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification, and present a lecture at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. 

5. The first visit to the country by an Armenian Foreign Minister in 13 years is expected to serve as a significant opportunity to review the bilateral relationship in the past 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and to discuss ways to further develop the ties in a future-oriented way.

                                        Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation