Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Tigran Sargsyan: “Armenia and Belarus Boast Serious Potential of Economic Cooperation”
"I feel highly honored as I am here to discuss burning issues of bilateral cooperation. Our two countries enjoy a serious potential of economic cooperation which is under-realized as of yet,” Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan told the press conference held after the two prime ministers’ private talks and an expanded meeting of the two delegations.
According to Tigran Sargsyan, the projects discussed enable enhanced outreach of economic entities on either side. “I mean, first of all, the economic component where we can achieve enhanced awareness of those priority directions and international tenders to be announced for various projects. I also mean the agricultural sector, including seed-breeding, as well as the deliveries of agricultural machinery,” Tigran Sargsyan emphasized.
As much important is the transport component with those large-scale projects to be implemented in Armenia: “We hereby invite our Belarusian partners to participate in these projects. We have similarly exchanged views on the cooperation in the spheres of power engineering and tourism, as well as in the field of emergency situations, that is the whole complex of questions high on my government’s agenda,” the Prime Minister said.
An open and sincere dialog was said to have been unfolded during the private meeting of the two prime ministers, including those social and economic challenges facing Armenia.
Thanking once again his Belarusian counterpart for a warm welcome and expressing confidence that their meeting might further boost the economic, political and social intercourse between the two countries, the head of the Armenian government stressed that the exchange of opinions proved quite useful.
In turn, Mikhail Myasnikovich said to have looked at full set the cooperation agenda and expressed the Belarusian side’s satisfaction at the concurrence of positions: “What matters most is that normal conditions will be provided to economic entities. A properly designed legal framework has to be built up. We have already signed arrangements necessary for expanding the existing normative and legal basis. We stated serious progress in infrastructures by means of such projects as may be supported through joint ventures and shopping centers. The governments are just supposed to provide the needed legal and infrastructural mechanisms for the launch of trade facilities, implementation of investment programs and so on,” Mikhail Myasnikovich pointed out.
Later today, as arranged beforehand, a corresponding working group will come together at the Minsk car factory to discuss specific projects in the following areas: tractor engineering, supply and maintenance of agricultural machinery and trucks, as well as such other projects as have failed to be competed for various reasons.
He thanked the Prime Minister of Armenia for proactive and businesslike approaches. “Today’s most important achievement is that we came to positive forecasts concerning the way our relations should be structured,” Mikhail Myasnikovich said reminding that Armenia will be hosting Belarusian Culture Days tomorrow which is a landmark event. The Prime Minister of Belarus went on to assure that every effort will be made to give effect to the arrangements reached during Tigran Sargsyan’s visit.
The talks resulted in the signing of the following bilateral instruments: a protocol between the two governments on amendments to the 1996 November agreement on air transportations, a cooperation agreement between the ministries of emergency situations in the sphere of early warning and prevention of emergencies. The 2011-2012 program of cooperation in the sphere of physical training and sports was signed between the Armenian ministry of sport and youth affairs and the Belarusian ministry of sport and tourism.
