Strong UK-Armenian cooperation has a long history and looks set to get even stronger

In August, the UK and Armenia took a further step forward in their centuries-old relationship by formally elevating our relationship to a full Strategic Partnership. Far more than a mere diplomatic formality, this agreement marks a new era of cooperation covering trade, security, education and cultural exchange. The benefits of closer relations with the UK for my country are indisputable. But it is also an opportunity for the UK to deepen its role in a region of growing strategic and economic importance.

Of course, this historic partnership was not built overnight. It has been hundreds of years in the making; and is the culmination of a long history of mutual respect, cultural affinity and economic exchange between our peoples.

The story of cultural exchange between Armenians and Britons is perhaps best embodied by the English poet Lord Byron, who developed a deep interest in Armenia while living in Venice between 1816 and 1819. That an English literary icon should develop such a deep fascination with Armenia’s unique language, literature and religion says something about the intellectual bond between the two nations.

Happily, this overlooked part of our shared history is now getting the attention it deserves. Now open in the British Library’s Treasures Gallery, Britanahay: Armenian and British, tells the story of an enduring relationship which has quietly survived through the rise and fall of empires and enormous geopolitical changes across Europe and Asia, between which Armenia sits.

The display brings together an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, books, photographs and letters drawn from across the UK, Armenia, and the wider world - including Egypt, Cyprus and India. Together, these materials reveal that Armenians and Britons have crossed paths and collaborated in more places and in more ways than is commonly known.

Among the treasures is the first Armenian book ever printed in London, Movses Khorenatsi’s History of the Armenians (1736), a landmark in diasporic publishing. Another highlight is a beautiful fifteenth-century French manuscript depicting what may have been the first meeting between Armenian and English heads of state - when King Levon V of Cilician Armenia travelled to Westminster to meet King Richard II in 1385. Visitors can also explore a book showcasing the work of twentieth-century British-Armenian photographer Ida Kar, whose striking modernist portraiture captured post-war Britain’s creative spirit.

The British Library’s display reminds us that these exchanges were not one-offs, but part of a broader pattern of exchange and cooperation between our nations. As our new Strategic Partnership moves from agreement to implementation, it is important to reflect on that history and think how we can capitalise on our cultural ties in concrete terms.