Vahan Kostanyan during his meeting with the Ukrainian Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk. (photo Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia)

Armenia and Ukraine Deepen Ties as High-level Meetings Increase throughout August

202
0

By Ani Ghulinyan

Armenia’s Acting Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan made an official visit to Ukraine, where he participated in the celebrations of the 975th anniversary of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra on August 15. The visit is one of many high-ranking interactions between Armenian and Ukrainian officials in 2026, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first-ever visit to Armenia to participate in the European Political Community summit in May.

At the Lavra celebrations, Kostanyan also spoke with UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, UN World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Sheikha Al Nowais, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Kostanyan conveyed Yerevan’s congratulations to Zelenskyy and Sybiha on the occasion.

Kostanyan’s Kyiv visit also included separate meetings with the Ukrainian Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk on expanding high-level contacts and strengthening the bilateral agenda; with Deputy Foreign Minister Olexandr Mischenko on activating political dialogue, expanding economic ties, and deepening engagement in multilateral formats; and with the chair of parliament’s Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko on the Armenia–Ukraine cooperation agenda.

The visit followed a series of exchanges that began after the formation of a new parliament and government in Armenia following the June 2026 elections.

Get the Mirror in your inbox:

On August 4, Sybiha congratulated his newly reappointed Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan. In a social media post, Sybiha said that he looked forward to strengthening ties between the two countries and advancing regional peace and stability. The same day, Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Ruben Rubinyan spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Stefanchuk, who congratulated him on his election. They agreed to strengthen parliamentary ties and explore new areas of cooperation.

On August 11, Mirzoyan and Sybiha spoke again, this time by phone, discussing the bilateral agenda and the regional situation. The following day, Zelenskyy held a call in which he congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his reappointment. They discussed bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global developments, emphasizing the importance of achieving sustainable and lasting peace.

During the August exchanges, officials from both countries emphasized the goal of broadening the relationship beyond trade and parliamentary exchange to include cultural and humanitarian ties.

Armenia’s deepening ties with Ukraine coincide with the country’s turbulent relationship with Russia, which, since early May, has continued to ban various Armenian goods.

(This article originally appeared on August 17 on www.oc-media.org.)

Get the Mirror-Spectator Weekly in your inbox: