Thursday, 23 February 2017
Tbilisi Hosts High-Level Talks between Armenian, Georgian Governments
The Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan-led government delegation arrived in Tbilisi for an official visit at the invitation of Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
After the official welcoming ceremony, Karen Karapetyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a face-to-face interview, during which they discussed issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Georgian relations and the prospects for development.
The Premiers’ private talks were followed by an expanded meeting of the official delegations of the two countries. Greeting the Armenian partners, Giorgi Kvirikashvili said that the Armenian-Georgian relations are marked with positive trends and went on to note that reciprocated high-level visits may help promote multifaceted relations.
“We are ready to deepen regional cooperation, boost trade and use the existing potential," he said, adding that Georgia attaches great importance to the further deepening and development of cooperation with friendly Armenia.
Thankful for the warm welcome, Karen Karapetyan pointed out that Armenia and Georgia have deep historical roots. “We have entered a new stage of cooperation in bilateral relations. Armenian-Georgian cooperation continues to develop in an atmosphere of mutual trust, which is the key to strengthened relationship. Our delegation is ready to discuss topical issues of bilateral economic cooperation, both in terms of regional development, and we will try to find new ways of bolstering cooperation,” the Head of the Armenian Government said.
Pleased with the ongoing high-level political dialogue between the two countries, the Prime Ministers noted that economic exchanges fall behind the existing potential of cooperation, despite the recent increase in bilateral trade indicators.
The interlocutors discussed a broad range of issues of interaction in trade, energy, transport, agriculture, tourism and culture. The parties expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation in the energy sector and stressed the need to further ties in the transport and communication sector.
Karen Karapetyan and Giorgi Kvirikashvili expressed confidence that economic cooperation can promote the growth of bilateral trade. In this context, they stressed the importance of regional cooperation in the energy sector. The Prime Ministers highlighted the establishment of a free economic zone in Meghri, and the possibility of using it as a platform to increase access to the markets of third countries. Coming to cultural and historical ties, the interlocutors stressed the importance of preserving the wealth of cultural heritage.
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After the extended meeting, attended by the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Georgia, the sides signed a healthcare cooperation agreement between the RA Ministry of Healthcare and the Georgian Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs. The RA Ministry of Agriculture-affiliated State Food Security Service and the National Food Agency of Georgia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.
