Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan and Armenian President Armen Sarkissian met today at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan and discussed several issues, including the country’s development.

Here’s a transcript of the meeting released by the Armenian government.

I am pleased with today’s meeting. Our working meetings are held on a regular basis, and I reckon that we have been working on a very hectic agenda in recent months. It is important for us to share the results of our work with each other because we badly need to coordinate the work of public institutions in our country.

On the occasion of the International Day of Genocide Remembrance and Prevention, earlier today we paid tribute to all genocide victims and recorded that the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only a matter of historical fact and justice for us, but it is also our important contribution to the global effort for genocide prevention. And, of course, we have repeatedly noticed that we consider the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a key security element for Armenia and the Armenian people. We have talked about this in the past and today we will talk about coordinating the steps to take ahead.

As the year is nearing completion, we also need to summarize the results. Two or three days ago, the 2020 state budget bill was adopted in the National Assembly, and I noticed that we were wrapping up the year with good economic performance, which is important for us to have more confidence next year.

As we summarize the outgoing year, we must talk about the shortcomings and challenges encountered in our work, which are of course inevitable, but which does not mean at all that we should not take steps to eliminate them and do a more effective job.

You stated your position in terms of supporting the Government and the National Assembly, and I am pleased to note that there is a very good working atmosphere established between the Presidency, the Government and the National Assembly. This is remarkable indeed, especially as seen from the perspective of new constitutional realities, and on the other hand, we have all committed to do everything possible to make the ongoing interaction more effective.”

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the country’s development agenda and programs.