YEREVAN. – The first meeting of the UAE-Armenia intergovernmental commission was held in Yerevan under the chairmanship of the UAE Secretary of State Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh and Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahagn Melikian.

The UAE minister thanked for the warm welcome and the high level of organization of the meeting.

According to him, over the past years, tangible progress in a number of areas has been recorded in relations between the two countries.

The UAE official underscored importance of numerous visits and a number of documents signed between the sides.  In this regard, the visit of Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and his participation in the “Week of Stability” forum was noted.

Confirming the strategic importance of the development of economic relations, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh noted that the UAE is considered the eighth largest market, importing Armenian goods and 11 sources of Armenian investment all over the world.

The Minister noted that in recent years, trade has increased significantly. In particular, in the period from 2014 to 17 the annual total growth rate was 14%, and in 2017, the trade turnover increased by 78% compared to 2016

The UAE entrepreneurs are interested in investing into Armenia, mainly it is about renewable energy,  mining and agriculture. He also mentioned the growing number of tourists, adding that 11,134 tourists visited Armenia last year.

Welcoming the visit of the delegation, the Secretary General at the Armenian Foreign Ministry noted the importance of the activities of the intergovernmental commission as a discussion platform. Vahagn Melikyan noted that Armenia considers the UAE to be the most important bridge with the Gulf countries.

At the same time, it was offered to consider Armenia as a gateway to the market of the Eurasian Economic Union. Melikyan emphasized that there is a great potential for cooperation in tourism, trade, infrastructure, agricultural exports, food safety, and scientific technologies.

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Speaker of the Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Defense Minister David Tonoyan received the participants of the meeting.

During the meeting, two memorandums of understanding were signed between Armenpress and WAM agencies, the Abu Dhabi World Market and the Central Bank of Armenia.