Armenia-China relations steadily deepen - Ambassador Fan Yong

YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS.  On the occasion of the conclusion of Ambassador Fan Yong's mission as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Armenia, a farewell reception was held at the Embassy.The diplomat will soon return to China.

Ambassador Fan Yong, in his speech, noted that four years before, when he arrived in Armenia in October 2020 and assumed the position as the eighth Chinese ambassador to Armenia, he immediately began active engagement. He highlighted that through joint efforts, relations between China and Armenia have steadily developed, the traditional friendship between them continues to strengthen, and cooperation across various fields is yielding results. 

"Political mutual trust is steadily deepening; our countries provide mutual support to each other in matters relating to their core interests. In 2022, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Armenia, an opening ceremony for the new embassy building and a series of celebratory events were held, which gave new impetus to the traditional friendship between our countries.

Since last year, high-level visits and dialogues between our countries have intensified. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing within the framework of the inaugural Nuclear Energy Summit. Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Hakob Arshakyan, and representatives from various ministries, parties, and other departments of Armenia sent delegations to China. Delegations from many Chinese party and government bodies, research institutions, and universities also visited Armenia, contributing to the development of bilateral relations," the Ambassador Fan Yong said.

According to the diplomat, practical cooperation continues to expand.

"China has been and remains Armenia's main trade partner, main export market and source of imports for many years. In 2023, bilateral trade exceeded 2.1 billion US dollars, increasing by 120 percent compared to 2020. Under the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, Chinese companies are successfully implementing the construction of the North-South Road corridor, the modernization of solar power stations and substations, and the upcoming launch of the Public Television Pavilion construction project. The two countries have already implemented a visa-free regime, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Armenia continues to grow.

"I am pleased that in September of this year, China Southern Airlines will start operating flights on the Urumqi-Yerevan-Urumqi route to facilitate exchanges between our peoples," the Ambassador said.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan thanked Ambassador Fan Yong for his distinguished diplomatic mission in Armenia and his contributions to deepening relations between the two countries.

"We are here to bid farewell to our esteemed colleague Ambassador Fan Yong, who is concluding his mission in our country. In his address, he detailed the achievements made during his tenure. We greatly appreciate the development of our relations with China. Our countries will soon be connected by direct flights, which is a significant achievement and will contribute to strengthening relations in the future.

Of course, every ambassador contributes to the strengthening of bilateral relations, and from that perspective, your efforts are truly appreciated because they have had a positive impact. Over the years, we have witnessed many situations where China provided support to Armenia during challenging times. We hope that Armenia will always hold a place in your heart and that you will return to our country whenever you have the opportunity," Deputy Minister Safaryan said.