Seán Haughey
Question:257. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of relations between Ireland and Armenia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46404/22]
View answerThursday, 22 September 2022
Questions (257)
Written answers
Diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Republic of Armenia were established in 1996.
The Irish Ambassador to Bulgaria, Martina Feeney, is accredited to Armenia on a non-resident basis and presented her credentials in October 2021. Varuzhan Nersesyan was appointed as Ambassador to Ireland, also on a non-resident basis, in July 2021. Ireland’s Honorary Consul in Armenia since 2010 has been Jonathan Stark, while the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Ireland since 2008 is Orhan Yergainharsian.
The Irish community in Armenia is very small, consisting of about 20-25 citizens, many of whom left in 2020 due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that a few hundred people of Armenian descent may live in Ireland.In terms of bilateral meetings, the most recent at a leadership level was in May 2022, when I met with Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the margins of the 132nd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in Turin. There are also regular contacts at an official level.
There are a number of academic and private sector links between the two countries, and some trade links. I refer the Deputy to the Central Statistics Office for further details on Ireland's trade with Armenia. Irish Aid has provided support to a number of non-governmental organisations for projects in Armenia over the years.