Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received a delegation led by UAE State Minister, UAE-Armenia Intergovernmental Commission Co-Chairman Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh.

Greeting the guests, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the first meeting of the UAE-Armenia Intergovernmental Commission, held this May 2 in Yerevan, which is a good platform for discussing development of UAE-Armenia relations. Nikol Pashinyan said our country keen to cooperate with the United Arab Emirates. He pointed out that the recent intensification of economic relations and the trends observed in the sphere of tourism have demonstrated the positive dynamics of bilateral cooperation.

The UAE State Minister thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan for the warm welcome and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of both his visit and the discussions held at the Commission’s meeting. Noting that his country is eager to develop cooperation with Armenia through joint projects, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh stressed that the Commission’s activities testify to this.

The interlocutors discussed ways of deepening economic cooperation in different directions. The Prime Minister noted that his government has embarked upon a large-scale reform program aimed at improving the business environment, creating equal conditions for economic development and attracting foreign investment. Nikol Pashinyan considered promising cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, information technology, renewable energy, construction of reservoirs.

The head of the Armenian government noted that Armenia can become a bridge for UAE business entities to enter the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union and third countries. Coming to the cooperation in the field of information technologies, the Premier expressed the hope that UAE companies may take an active part in the World IT Congress to be held in Yerevan in October, 2019.

Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh said his country interested in implementing joint programs in the areas mentioned by the Prime Minister, He pointed out that the UAE is ready to expand the bilateral cooperation with Armenia in the political, economic and humanitarian fields.

The Prime Minister of Armenia and the State Minister of the United Arab Emirates next touched on the steps aimed at establishing direct air communication between the two countries that will not only help boost tourism, but also step up trade turnover. The importance of holding business forums and organizing reciprocated top-level visits was stressed on both sides.

Taking the opportunity, Prime Minister Pashinyan thanked the UAE government for abiding by a balanced position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.