Armenia and Moldova to boost cooperation: President Igor Dodon pays first official visit to Armenia
5 minute read
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. President of MoldovaIgor Dodon will arrive in Armenia on official visit on November 9. This is his first visit to Armenia. It, of course, is important in terms of giving new impetus to the political and economic ties between the two countries, as well as further deepening and strengthening them.
The deepening and strengthening of political and economic relations between the two states is a necessity especially in the context when Armenia and Moldova are included in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership program and have common interests in the European and Eurasian integration processes. Armenia, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), can contribute to deepening Moldova’s cooperation with the Union, and Moldova in its turn, as a country that signed the Association agreement with EU, can contribute to deepening and strengthening Armenia’s partnership with the EU especially when the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership agreement is expected to be signed between Armenia and the EU on November 24.
ARMENPRESS presents the level of political and economic cooperation between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Visits and meetings
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan paid a working visit to Moldova in July 2013.
Before that, in December 2012 the Moldovan Prime Minister VladFilatand Vice PM, minister of foreign affairs and European integration Yuri Lanke visited Armenia. Moldova’s Vice PM, minister of foreign affairs and European integration Natalia Gherman arrived in Armenia on a working visit in September 2013.
Political consultations were held between the foreign ministries of Armenia and Moldova inChișinău in June 2015 which was attended by Armenian deputy foreign minister Shavarsh Kocharyan. The meeting of Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian and Moldova’s Vice PM, minister of foreign affairs and European integration Andrei Galbur was held on the sidelines of the Munich security conference in February 2016.
Andrei Galbur paid a working visit to Armenia on November 16-17 2016.
Armenian deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan attended the inauguration ceremony of the Moldovan President on December 23 2016.
On July 10, 2017 Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian participated in the informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the Eastern Partnership countries in Chișinău.
Signed documents
Armenia and Moldova have established diplomatic relations on May 18, 1992. 18 documents, 17 agreements and 1 MoU have been signed between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
Economic ties
In 2016 the trade turnover volume between Armenia and Moldova comprised 1 million 238 thousand 71 USD which was a decrease of 26% compared to 2015. In 2016 the export from Armenia to Moldova amounted to 334.4 thousand USD, and the import 904 thousand 31 USD. In January-June 2017 the trade turnover between the two countries comprised 774 thousand 85 USD. During this period 331 thousand 79 USD products were exported form Armenia to Moldova, and goods worth 443.06 USD were imported from Moldova.
During the visit to Armenia, the Moldovan President will meet with the country’s high-ranking leadership – President Serzh Sargsyan, Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan and Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan.
After the completion of the Armenian-Moldovan high level talks at the Armenian Presidential Palace, the two Presidents will deliver statements for media over the results of talks. President Igor Dodon will also visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Matenadaran, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, the Chess Academy of Armenia. He will also visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
Shant Khlgatyan