From Cooperation to Strategic Dialogue
Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Court of St James’s, Varuzhan Nersesyan, discusses his causes for optimism on the 32nd Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia and the UK
This year Armenia and the UK celebrate 32 years of diplomatic relations. The development of these ties between our countries is anchored in shared values and pragmatic mutual interest, including, crucially, a commitment to democracy and good governance. In this context, it is important to underline the significant support we have received from the UK government in the strengthening of democratic institutions in Armenia.
We are entering our 33rd year of formal diplomatic relations, but in fact our countries share a profound connection dating back centuries. Britain’s Armenian community can trace its roots back to the ninteenth century, when Armenian merchants and manufacturers arrived in the industrial city of Manchester. The Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Manchester first opened its doors on Easter Sunday in 1870. This is the oldest Armenian Church in Western Europe, and it still stands today.
Since first arriving in Britain, the Armenian community has been proud to contribute to the UK’s cultural richness and economic vitality. Today, Armenians are active in many areas of British life – from business and finance to the arts and technology. We have worked hard to establish cultural, academic and religious institutions; and we have built durable bridges between our two nations.
Prominent British politicians and scholars played a crucial role in bringing us together in the first place, fostering a positive environment for the development of British-Armenian relations and promoting mutual respect between our peoples. To name just a few: Lord Byron, James Bryce, Arnold J. Toynbee and former prime ministers, William Gladstone and David Lloyd George.
And since formal diplomatic relations were established three decades ago, Armenia and the UK have taken further strides to enhance political ties and economic cooperation, building stronger trading links, tackling global challenges and promoting closer people-to-people exchange through tourism, education, and culture. All of this has been based on shared values, pragmatic interests and mutual respect.
During the last couple of years, we have witnessed the strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties and an intensification in high-level visits. In June, the President of our National Assembly made an official visit at the invitation of The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. This and other meetings have added a new vigour to the interaction between our Parliaments. Today, we can confidently say that, through our joint efforts, Armenia-UK cooperation has been elevated to a new, strategic level.
Indeed, 2023 was a remarkable, I would even say unprecedented, year in Armenian-British relations, in terms of the widening of our bilateral cooperation and exploration of new avenues for partnership. During the year there were 13 high-level visits from Armenia to the UK and several reciprocal visits from the UK to Armenia.
But the most significant achievement was the establishment of a new Strategic Dialogue between our countries, launched on the 13 November during the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, H.E. Ararat Mirzoyan. The platform will provide an elevated framework for Armenia-UK relations into the future. Its three central pillars – Political, Security and Economic/people-to-people contact – will lay a firm foundation for the development of enhanced bilateral cooperation.
In the context of the economic dimension of the Dialogue, the 2023 Armenia-UK Business Forum took place in London on 26 October. I am confident this initiative will give new impetus to the development of business and trade relations. It provided an important UK showcase for Armenia’s economic strengths in fields such as infrastructure, finance and tech – lucrative markets for prospective British investors.
Nor is it only one-way traffic. In a modest but significant way, Armenia is also contributing to the British economy through the establishment of IT unicorns such as PicsArt which has created dozens of jobs in its London headquarters. There is more to come.
Another facet of the Strategic Dialogue is defence and security, which too often has been an under-explored area of Armenia-UK bilateral relations. On 28 November, an Armenian Defence delegation held productive talks in London with British counterparts. Taking into account global and regional challenges, cooperation in this sphere looks ever more important.
The most significant achievement was the establishment of a new Strategic Dialogue between our countries, launched on the 13 November during the official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, H.E. Ararat Mirzoyan.
A further indicator of Armenia’s profound commitment to enhanced cooperation between our countries was the purchase of a new Embassy building in the heart of London. I greatly look forward to a busy calendar of events in the new Embassy, and to a further deepening of our roots in the UK.
But 2023 was not just about political meetings. We were also able to connect our people through a variety of cultural programmes. The most noteworthy was the UK tour of the Armenia Symphony Orchestra, which visited 10 cities. The concerts were dedicated to the 120th Anniversary of the legendary Armenian composer, Aram Khachaturyan and were held under the auspices of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the UK. They amply demonstrated the Armenian peoples’ rich cultural spirit and identity, and clearly resonated strongly with the British public.
Despite these positive dynamics, there is still room for progress. This year we hope to deepen cooperation still further by signing an Armenia-UK Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. This agreement would give us a solid legal foundation to elevate post-Brexit relations to the benefit of both sides.
Reflecting on the first three decades of Armenian-UK relations, there is cause for a great deal of optimism. I am confident that our historical kinship and our commitment to shared values and mutual respect for one another, will only lead to deeper cooperation between Armenia and the UK in a wide variety of spheres, to the mutual benefit of our people and to our friendly nations.
A further indicator of Armenia’s profound commitment to enhanced cooperation between our countries was the purchase of a new Embassy building in the heart of London.
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