Armenia seeks enhancement of commercial ties with UAE, says President Sargsyan

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan held a consultation today with Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates H.E. Gegham Gharibjanyan on the economic relations agenda between the two countries, ongoing works for developing and enhancing partnership is prospect areas, as well as the implementation process of high-level agreements.

The consultation was another regular meeting at the President’s Office dedicated to the economic component of Armenia’s foreign policy. Ministers and heads of stakeholder agencies participated in the consultation, the President’s Office told ARMENPRESS.

The President mentioned that the friendship between Armenian and Arab peoples has centuries long history and developing relations with the Arab World is one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy. The President stressed that during the past 10 years Armenia is actively developing its relations with countries of the Gulf region and especially with the UAE, where Armenians are very well known along with their business capabilities, which creates favorable conditions for the development of economic relations.

“A high level political dialogue exists with the UAE, and political dialogue has decisive significance in economic relations. Political dialogue in itself doesn’t lead to activation of economic relations, but in case of relevant work the potential directly grows. Of course we must clearly mention the successes which we had with the Emirates during the past 2 years of our relations, and the 2017 results, at least the comparison of January-July with last year’s January-July trade turnover, inspire optimism – the volume increased 2,5 times.

There are great possibilities for cooperation in the industrial, jewelry and especially food production sectors. I believe we have great potential to develop tourism. Look, we lifted the visa requirement for UAE citizens and we have two Emirati companies who operate regular flights. We must note that ticket prices are also understandable and acceptable. Ten thousand Philippine citizens visited Armenia this year, the overwhelming majority of whom are people who work in the Emirates. We have the possibility to receive hundreds of thousands of such tourists in Armenia. I believe we must definitely use this possibility.

I attach importance to our investment forum in March of this year in Abu Dhabi and I think this must be continuous. Indeed, we must put efforts to present Armenia there, we must also participate in major events taking place there. These are simply mandatory and the minimum conditions, which will enable us to boost our economic relations with the Emirates.

I want us all to clearly understand, the Emirates isn’t simply a state with which we want to deepen our relations. Emirates is the state which has great significance for Gulf states. That is, the Emirates also feed numerous markets in those countries. This is a circumstance. And the second circumstance is, that the Emiratis greatly value Armenia’s possibilities as a member country of the Eurasian Economic Union.

I believe we simply must multiply and triple our trade turnover during one or one and a half years.

I hope that we will have a high level dialogue again in the foreseeable future, be it in Armenia or in the Emirates, because both the business world and the political leadership have the willingness. We have those possibilities”, the President said.

Stakeholder ministries and agencies were issued instructions upon the results of the consultation.