Being a small state, Armenia has developed its unique model of communicating with the world, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said in his address at the Cyprus University today.

“Having strategic and ally relations with Russia, Armenia is developing mutually beneficial partnership with dozens of western, Asia-Pacific and Latin-American states: Cyprus, Greece, France, Germany, U.S., China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chili and Brazil. This list can long be continued,” the President said, singling out the traditional friendly relations with the Middle East countries. According to him, regional, national or any other factor has never been an obstacle for the development of those ties. 

Following the same logic, Armenia combines its membership to the CSTO with efficient NATO programs, Sargsyan said. Besides, being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), the country continues to consistently expand the agenda of its long-term cooperation with the European Union.

“That cooperation is the most important guarantee of deepening reforms in Armenia, enhancing democratic institutions and promoting economic cooperation. On 7 December 2015, the talks on the new Armenia-EU framework agreement kicked off. We expect to complete them in the shortest period possible. 

It’s absolutely important that this approach, which might have first been misunderstood, has become perceptible for our partners today. Moreover, they value it. Consequently, Armenia is represented as a stable state and foreseeable partner which creates no problems for itself and other states,” Sargsyan said.

In the president’s words, Armenia raises its economic “attractiveness” also with the support of its EU partners, since it is exactly the leading western economies which serve as a benchmark for Armenia.

Sargsyan also singled out certain aspects of Armenia’s attractiveness:“With Armenia’s accession to the EEU, and as a result of a number of recent international and regional developments, like the reopening of Iran’s 77-million economic market, wide opportunities open up for our economic diplomacy. Currently it’s possible to enter the EEU market via Armenia without any duties. We are also able to make a preferential entrance to the EU, U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Japan and Norway. In 2015, Armenia and the United States signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFA). We considered this as a manifestation of confidence towards our country,” he said.