Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Today RA Prime Minister A. Margaryan has received the delegation led by Emir of Sharzha Scheik Dr Sultan Ben Mohammad Al-Kassimi, member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates.
Satisfied at the present status of Armenia's relationships with many Arab States, including the UAE, the parties have mentioned the recently activated high-level contacts, the signing of a few dozens of collaboration instruments, the mutually beneficial cooperation within international organizations, the diplomatic consultations held on a regular basis and so on. They stressed that the historically deeply-rooted Armenian-Arab friendship, cultural and trade exchanges have been a great way towards the development of diversified bilateral ties and multilateral relationships.
Prime Minister A. Margaryan highly valued the well-balanced policy carried out by the government of UAE at both regional and international levels and went on to welcome the its authorities' bias for the civilizations dialog.
With reference to the economic relations between the two countries, the interlocutors emphasized the spheres of education, scientific research, culture, tourism, as well as the export of agricultural produce. The Prime Minister expressed the hope that Scheik Dr Sultan Ben Mohammad Al-Kassimi's present visit and the on-going Cultural Days of Sharzha in Armenia would give a new impetus to the development of cooperation between the two countries, the strengthening of cultural and scientific ties, further rapprochement of the two peoples. Mr. A. Margaryan placed a special focus upon the establishment of the Arab Cultural Center in Armenia and thanked Scheik Dr Sultan Ben Mohammad Al-Kassimi for the financial share taken in this undertaking. He also expreseed his appreciation to the Emir of Sharzha for having allocated a plot of land for the construction of an Armenian church in Sharzha in 1995 with the latter being the only one of its kind in the Emirates.
During the meeting, the parties have also touched upon the question of setting up a UAE embassy in Armenia. By noting that Armenia's embassy was inaugurated in Dubai as early as in 2000, which had a regional coverage, the Prime Minister said to be hopeful that, whereas the Armenian side had already assigned a plot of land to that effect, in the near future the government of the UAE would open a diplomatic mission in Yerevan.
