Serzh Sargsyan presented high state awards to Swiss Armenian figures  Vardan Sirmakesh and Albert Poghosyan

ArmInfo. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the eve of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Swiss Confederation presented high state awards to Swiss  Armenian figures Vardan Sirmakesh and Albert Poghosyan.

According to the press service of the Armenian president, after the  talks with the President of Azerbaijan, which took place at the  initiative of the OSCE MG co-chairs, President Serzh Sargsyan met  with the representatives of the Swiss Armenian community at the  Embassy of Armenia in the Swiss Confederation.

In the context of meetings with the local Armenian community,  traditionally organized during foreign visits, at the meeting with  the Swiss Armenian community, the head of the Republic first briefly  presented the purpose of his visit, the results of the completed  negotiations and the position of the Armenian side in the process of  solving the NK problem, then spoke about the issues of the  pan-Armenian agenda and on the work being done to strengthen  Armenia-Diaspora ties, also touched upon the important contribution  of the Swiss Armenian community to the development of the homeland,  noting that the community, x be numerous, but has its own importance  and a special place among the Armenian Diaspora communities. In the  presence of the representatives of the community, Serzh Sargsyan  presented high state awards to the Swiss Armenian figures Vardan  Sirmakesh and Albert Poghosyan. In connection with the Independence  Day, for contribution to economic development, as well as for active  charitable and public activities, Vardan Sirmakes was awarded the  Order of Merit for the Fatherland 1st degree, and Albert Poghosyan  for strengthening ties between the Motherland and the Diaspora,  active charitable and public activity - a medal "For Services to the  Fatherland" of the 1st degree. The President expressed his gratitude  to the Swiss Armenian figures for their patriotic activities and  wished them success in all future undertakings.  Recall that on the  eve of the initiative of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in the  residence of the permanent representative of Switzerland in the  Geneva headquarters of the United Nations and other international  organizations, negotiations between the presidents of Armenia and  Azerbaijan were held. The meeting was attended by the Foreign  Ministers of the two countries Edward Nalbandian and Elmar  Mamedyarov, as well as the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor  Popov (Russia), Andrew Schaefer (USA), Stefan Visconti (France) and  Personal Representative of the OSCE Co-Chair Andrzej Kasprzyk.  After  the meeting, a separate conversation took place between Presidents  Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev. 

The sides discussed the possibilities of advancing the negotiation  process on the settlement of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict.  Following the talks, the presidents instructed to take measures to  intensify the negotiation process and take additional steps to reduce  tensions. The co-chairs expressed satisfaction with the direct talks  that took place after a long break. They stressed that they are ready  to continue the mediation work with the parties towards peaceful,  through negotiations, settlement of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict.  The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the OSCE Minsk  Group co- chairs issued a joint statement following the talks.